Code Geass: Julius of the Empire
by ShinKir0
Summary: A re-imagining of the world of Code Geass, in which Lelouch has a twin brother, who stayed in Britannia, while his siblings were sent away. Imperial prince Julius vi Britannia enters the game. Rated M for violent and sexual content.
1. A Demon's Stir

Stage 1: A Demon's Stir

 **April 2008 atb**

It was a warm spring day. The wind blew its gentle breeze, carrying the aroma of the flowers in the Aries villa's garden. In said garden were playing three children, as they cheerfully ran around after each other, enjoying their childhood. These kids were watched over by their mother, a woman with long dark hair and violet eyes, her figure tall and well endowed, despite her giving birth to three children. She was dressed in a deep blue dress. This woman was Marianne vi Britannia, fifth empress of the holy Britannian empire.

The woman's children were twin boys and a little girl. The two boys had black hair and violet eyes, just like their mother's, and were dressed in fancy clothing. Their sister was a small girl with sandy brown hair and the same violet eyes, wearing a small dress. The girl was running ahead of the two boys with a happy smile on her face, while her brothers trailed behind her.

"You can't catch me!" The little girl giggled, as true enough one of the twins was tiring out and was slowing his pace, while the other steadily kept running after her.

"W-Wait…!" panted the tiring sibling, while the other sped up and ran in front of their sister.

"Got you!" declared proudly the second twin, as he came to a sudden halt in front of his younger sister, catching her in an embrace, but the unexpected stop sent the boy down on his back, with his little sister in his arms.

"Are you alright?!" the other twin managed to catch up and was with a worried expression.

The two on the ground began to laugh cheerfully at their sibling's concern. "We're fine, Lelouch." Said the other boy, as he stood up along with his sister.

"Let's do it again." Said cheerfully the little girl.

"Nunnally, you could have really hurt yourselves back there." Lelouch scolded his sister, concerned for hers and his brother's safety.

"Lelouch is right, you know."

The three children turned around to see their mother standing next to them, looking at them with her affectionate smile.

"Julius, I want you to be more careful next time. It's ok to have fun, but it isn't good to get yourself hurt while doing so. The same goes for you too, Nunnally." The woman said to her children with a calm and gentle voice.

"Yes, mother." Replied Julius, slightly tilting his head down.

"I'm sorry." Nunnally apologized.

"I'm happy that you understand. Now come along, lunch will be ready soon and we wouldn't want to eat it cold, now would we?" said Marriane, as she beckoned her kids to go with her.

"Yes, mother!" the three children replied cheerfully and went along with the empress, whilst, unknown to them, they were being watched over by a young woman with light green hair and golden eyes.

* * *

 **Present, 2017 atb**

The Holy Britannian Empire. A nation born from the defeated remnants of the British Empire. With the introduction of the humanoid autonomous armored knight, known as the Knightmare Frame, Britannia secured its place as the world's dominant military superpower that ruled over one-third of the world and one of the large Empire-unions that controlled Earth initially in the early 21st Century.

In the capital, Pendragon, the royal palace was brimming with guests. Nobles, businessmen, knights, generals, all of the aristocracy of the empire had gathered. Still, the emperor wasn't present, as well as not every member of the royal family. Everyone was gathered for an upcoming speech. Cameramen had lined up their equipment and were ready to broadcast the event throughout the whole country. Only one thing was left for this event to kick off, the person giving the speech.

The person in question was walking down a hallway to arrive at the grand hall, where everyone had gathered. The corridors were fancy, which was to be expected, since this was the royal palace after all. The person's footsteps echoed throughout the hall, as he made his way towards the podium. The fancy chandeliers lit up the place very nicely, adding to its regal look.

As the young man continued to walk towards his destination, servants and nobles bowed to him to show their respect. Knights and soldiers saluted his passing by them. Of course, the display of loyalty and respect was lost on the young man, as he continued walking, ignoring those around him, a cold but yet majestic aura accompanying his presence.

He was dressed in a black and gold outfit, which had the military crest of the Britannian military in gold on the chest. His black and gold jacket, it's fabric being white on the inside, split into two pieces of cloth at the waist, while it had an extension of a semi-hood at the neck area. It had a golden chain across the chest to keep the outfit together. His shoulders had golden frills and along his back span a long black cape, the silk fabric of which was red on the inside, with the golden crest of Britannia engraved on the back of it. He also wore black gloves with golden designs on the wrists. His outfit had gold rectangles on his stomach area, knees and boots, as well as a loosely fitted black belt.

With each step, the amethyst crystal hanging from the black and gold eye-patch on his left eye swayed back and forth, accompanied by the slight swaying of his dark hair, while his right eye's violet color glittered along with the other two crystals, that were attached by strings to the eye-patch, which lay down from behind his left ear and onto the side of his neck. His posture radiated the confidence with which he carried himself.

The young man stood atop the podium and turned to face the crowd. In it were present prominent figures such as the Knights of the Round, the prime minister, Schneizel el Britannia, the chief executive, Odysseus eu Britannia and the chief general of the Britannian military, Cornelia li Britannia. All were seated and were waiting for the event to get underway.

"Now, his royal highness, The twelfth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Julius vi Britannia." Came the announcement.

Julius vi Britannia smirked as the spotlight became his. "Greetings. I, Julius vi Britannia, have summoned all of you here today to hear this announcement. For a couple of years now, Britannia has been at war with the EU. The battlefront occasionally being overseen by our prime minister." Julius began his speech, with his charismatic performance grabbing the attention of everyone present.

"However, I am pleased to declare that control over the war has been handed over to me." Julius continued with a confident smile on his face. Many watching believed the young man's boasting to be more a symbol of his arrogance.

"With my taking command of the eastern front, the glory of victory and the blood of our enemies shall rain upon our proud military! Those fools believe they can stand against our glorious empire? They deserve nothing less than to be put down and stomped on!" He sneered. "Their cities will fall! All their people will wither before my feet and cower at the mention of my name!" Julius raised his voice, as he threw his right hand across his body.

"When the shadow of war settles there will be only one truth. I, Julius vi Britannia, will have obliterated Britannia's enemies! Death to all of our fatherland's enemies! All hail Britannia!" Julius finished his speech, raising his right arm up in the air with a clenched fist.

"All hail Britannia!" Everyone present and watching stood up and placed their hands on their hearts as they chanted for their empire, all while the prince's twisted smirk of self-satisfaction and anticipation for the battle to come sat on his face.

* * *

 **Ball Room**

After his speech, Julius vi Britannia was attending a ball held for the change in authority for the war. Still, even though he was the guest of honor, he despised mundane affairs such as this. What he saw were just a bunch of dressed up trash with no purpose to their existence than just to waste resources and flaunt their ego. An ego which he always enjoyed crushing.

The Ball Room was almost as spacious as the Grand hall, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, their light accenting the white and gold walls. The guests were conversing with each other while having something to drink. All was well, except for…

"Look, it's the homicide prince." Whispers could be heard, directed towards Julius, as he made his way towards one of the waitresses to get something to drink.

The prince knew very well of the public opinion of him. An arrogant man who's only driven by his blood-thirst and his violent attitude. The masses were afraid of him, for he was dangerous, not only because of how he acted, but because of the fact that he was royalty. No one could lift a finger against him and not pay the price. That was a fact that Julius was well aware of and he was going to milk his status dry to get what he wanted. That was how Britannia worked, after all.

He also enjoyed the fear in the people's faces when they spoke the moniker given to him by the masses, the homicide prince. A nickname he made for himself because of all the public cold blooded murders he had committed. Most of the deceased were either assassins, who attempted to take down the prince, or nobles, who didn't know any better than to get in his way.

The sweat on the waitress' face could be seen as the dark haired prince approached her. When he got next to her, she was just about to start shivering with fear, before he silently took a glass from her tray. She noticed that he didn't even look at her, his eye ignoring her very existence. To the poor woman, the young prince before her seemed like death incarnate, as she could feel her heart throbbing with fear. Julius paid the woman no mind, as he was about to walk away from her, when he was addressed by a familiar voice.

"A moment of your time, Julius." Came the womanly voice.

Julius recognized it and turned his head towards the woman that had called out to him. She was slightly taller than Julius. Her magenta hair was long and she wore it loose, coupled with her lavender purple eyes and the magenta lipstick that she wore. The woman before him was a true beauty with her curvy body, dressed in a wine red military uniform with gold accents, long white cape and heeled boots. This woman was his older half-sister, Cornelia li Britannia, second princess of the Britannian empire.

She was accompanied by her loyal knight, Sir Gilford, a man with long black hair styled in a ponytail and glasses, alongside trusted general, Andreas Darlton, a man with light brown hair and a scar running across his face.

"Oh? With what could I be of help, chief general?" Julius raised an eyebrow to his sister, referring to her in rank, as if to mock her.

Cornelia frowned upon hearing her younger brother's voice. He was an ample description of what Britannia had amounted to in all these years. Cold, merciless and selfish, that's what was now in place of the small kid that she remembered back at the Aries Villa. The kid, who the world attempted to devour and in a way, it did. Still, she couldn't allow herself to act out of regulation, as much as she wanted to beat some sense into him, as an older sister should, since the young man before her was an accomplished military academy graduate. Not only was he an ace Knightmare pilot, but his tactical skills were also among the best in the military. For that she respected him.

"I just wanted to have a talk with you, concerning your new position, military advisor." Cornelia bit her lip, she knew that small talk was lost on him and as much as she hated it, if she was to get anything she had to say through his skull, it would have to be as a higher ranking officer, not as family, for her younger brother held no respect in that word. The princess' escorts too were aware of who they were dealing with, so they remained silent.

"Oh? You have some thoughts to give?" Julius asked with his usual arrogant tone, as he drank some of the contents of his glass. He knew very well what this was about. Cornelia didn't want him on the front lines, caring older sister that she was. Still, something like that meant nothing to the prince, however, he was willing to allow her to speak her mind.

"I do. Quite honestly, I do not believe you to be ready for such an important position." Said Cornelia, who knew that whatever she said right now wouldn't change the end result in any way, but still it was something she had to get out of her system.

"Ah, I was thinking you might say that. Your concerns are misplaced. Instead of worrying about me, you should be worrying about the terrorists in Area ten and thirteen. I believe they are far more deserving of your attention than I am." Julius replied with a crafty smile and narrowed gaze, as he finished his drink, even though he was seventeen years of age and wasn't supposed to be drinking alcoholic beverages, and began to walk away from his sister.

Cornelia was not about to take his attitude any longer. She would get through to him, no matter how many times she had to try. "Julius, stop! I am your older sister and you will listen to me!" Cornelia demanded of him, as he came to a halt.

The nobles around them were scared beyond belief, since the two most feared figures in the royal family were having a dispute, and made sure to back away and not get killed.

Julius slightly turned his head towards Cornelia, only making out the corner of his right eye. He looked at her with a stern and cold gaze, which was met by Cornelia's unfaltering one, as he began to speak.

"Cornelia, I believe we've been over this. I respect you for everything that you've accomplished, but that's it. Don't go pushing your nose where it doesn't belong." Julius said, with a voice that almost sounded threatening. He turned around and spoke with a closed eye and smile on his face, as he walked away. "Send Euphie my regards."

Cornelia clenched her fists in irritation. There was nothing she could do for the only surviving child of her hero, Lady Marianne, and that just ground her gears. _Oh, Julius._ Cornelia thought, saddened to see the despicable person that the prince had become.

Unknown to anyone present, Schneizel was actually very interested in the conversation between his brother and sister. When it finished a small satisfied smile crossed his usually stoic lips. He saw a worthy rival in Julius. If not for that, he would've never relinquished control of the war with the EU to him.

Just as Cornelia let out a heavy sigh, she was treated to the sound of a familiar voice, accompanied with the presence of the owner of said voice.

"Hey, Nellie! How's it going?" Nonette Enneargram greeted her childhood friend with a smile and wave, walking next to her.

Upon seeing her, Gilford and Darlton saluted to the Knight of Nine.

"Nonette." Cornelia noticed her friend.

"Yep, that's me." Replied cheerfully the woman.

Nonette Enneargram was a tall woman with light green hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in the uniform of the Knights of the round, a white and gold suit with black gloves and boots, coupled with a light purple and gold cloak over her shoulders. Strapped around her waist, she had a pistol holster with a gun inside it. She was the Knight of Nine and was said to be the most feared Knightmare pilot, a reputation contradicted by her carefree and frank personality.

"So, what's bothering you?" Asked Nonette, her beaming smile not leaving her, wanting in on her friend's troubles.

"It's Julius. That kid has changed so much from eight years ago. It's just that I feel bad for not being able to do anything to help him, you know?" Cornelia explained, glad to have a conversation with someone who she respected and liked as a person.

"Oh, so little Jule's giving you trouble, huh?" Replied Nonette, using a nickname she gave to the prince to address him. No one was surprised by her calling him that, since she too was feared for her capabilities as a pilot and it wasn't new under the sun that she had been teaching a good part of his Knightmare Frame piloting classes back at the academy. "Want me to speak with him?"

Cornelia sighed upon hearing her friend refer to her brother in such a way. "No, don't bother. I doubt that he'll listen to you anyway." Said Cornelia.

"Yeah, that does sound like him. Even back at the academy, he had a really bad vibe to him that screamed 'I'm gonna kill you if you get close to me!'. Still, the kid's got talent, I can't argue that." Nonette laughed, folding her arms over her chest.

"You're making it sound so lighthearted, but that's just like you anyway." Cornelia sighed once more, at which Nonette laughed again.

Julius was making his way out of the event, but was seemingly stopped, as another person called out to him.

"Hey, your highness!" Came the energetic voice.

Upon hearing it, Julius sighed mentally. _For god's sake, this guy._ His right eye twitched in irritation, as he turned around to greet the person wanting to converse with him.

"What do you want, Gino?" Julius grumbled, looking at the man in question with an annoyed expression.

"Hey now, is that a way to treat an old friend?" Replied the young man, acting as if he was offended.

Gino Weinberg was the Knight of Three. He was a tall young man standing a head taller than Julius and had a muscular build, despite the fact that he was a year younger than the prince. He had blond hair with three braids that typically draped over his shoulder, and blue eyes. As a Knight of the Round, he wore the same uniform as Nonette, though his cloak was dark green and gold.

Gino hailed from a very rich and sheltered upbringing, and as such didn't quite understand how the real world worked. However, his cheerfulness and friendly demeanor earned him many friends. One of which, though unwillingly, became the twelfth prince of Britannia.

The two had graduated together from the Military academy and were both regarded as very talented pilots, though unlike the Prince, Gino didn't partake in the military, but got himself accepted into the Knights of the Round.

"I'm not in the mood to be chatting with you." Julius said, irritated that he had to run into Gino of all people.

"C'mon, spare me a minute, will ya?" Gino asked with his friendly attitude and smile, putting his left arm around Julius' shoulders. He then pointed to a small girl next to him and waved her over. "Anya, come over here and meet his majesty, prince Julius!" The blond said cheerfully.

Anya Alstreim was a short girl with light pink hair tied up in a ponytail that had thick strands of hair that fell next to her face, also creating bangs on her forehead, her eyes being rouge-red. She was dressed in a semi-revealing version of the uniform of the Knights of the Round, also sporting a red crest of Britannia tattoo on her left arm. Her look was completed by the long pink and gold cloak she wore, accenting her hair. However, there was something out of place on the girl, ah yes, her bland expression.

Julius couldn't recall if he had ever seen a more stoic looking person. Still, if what he had heard was anything to go by, the girl was the Knight of Six and had earned her place with sheer piloting ability. She struck him as rather odd, as he could recall seeing her somewhere, but he couldn't quite remember where.

Before Julius could speak, he heard the sound of a camera taking a picture and looked down towards the hands of the girl. She was holding her phone and had taken a picture of Julius with Gino armed around him. The girl silently turned around the camera and showed them the picture. It wasn't anything special, really, just Gino being his usual happy self, though the prince looked like he would throw up at any moment.

"Hahaha! You look hilarious!" Gino began to laugh, as he got a look at the picture, while the one eyed prince gave him the most resentful glare Anya had ever seen.

"Would you be so kind to delete that?" Julius turned his attention to Anya, who clicked a few times on her phone.

"Negative, I've added it to my archive of memories." Anya replied blandly, putting her phone away in one of the pockets of her uniform, at which Julius' right eye twitched with irritation. Anya then realized that she had forgotten to greet the prince and bowed her head. "Greetings, your highness."

Julius felt like he was in some type of bad comedy routine which he did not want to partake in. _Yeah, she's definitely an odd one._ Julius thought, as he shrugged Gino off himself and sent him a glare to which the blond replied with a goofy smile. _Not surprised, considering who she's hanging around with._ Julius rolled his eye.

"Salutations to you as well, Miss Alstreim." Replied the prince, as he then noticed that the girl was staring oddly at him, which was quite strange, even for what the prince was used to. He then watched her scramble back for her phone and began to click on it. There was strange and then there was rude. Julius had a right mind to take the small girl's phone from her, but she then turned it around and showed him another picture.

"Is that you?" Anya asked, as the prince's eye widened upon recognizing the picture.

It was a picture of him and his twin brother and younger sister when they were children back at the Aries Villa, with the two boys having hugged their little sister, who was smiling happily. It all seemed so distant now, those happy times, the time he spent with his siblings. Lelouch and Nunnally were little more than memories now for the twelfth prince.

Julius let out a sigh and regained his usual cold demeanor. "I'm the one on the left." He replied, pointing at the picture, as Anya then took her phone to look at it curiously.

"Hey, let me see." Gino moved next to Anya to look at the picture. When he got a look at the picture he smiled, thinking that it was heartwarming, and turned to Julius. "Never knew that you could smile like that or look so happy." Gino said to his 'friend'.

Julius frowned. "That was in the past." Gino and Anya looked at the prince oddly. "A past long dead and gone." Julius said, not noticing that he had clenched his fists.

"If you say so, I'm not one to butt into other people's business." Gino shrugged.

"Yes, you are." Julius growled under his breath so he couldn't be heard and rolled his eye.

In truth, Julius acted semi-friendly with the Knights of the Round, because he saw them as powerful allies to have and would rather have them on his side. Nothing in the world could scare the prince, not anymore, but it was always nice to have connections in the right places. Besides, should things escalate out of hand, he always had his last resort.

"Hmm, so this is where you were." Said a man, who walked over to the trio.

Julius instantly recognized the man. Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One. The giant of a man, towered over the prince and the other two knights. The man had very dark blue long hair and beard. His right eye was blue, while his left was kept closed by green ring pieces. Like the rest, he wore the uniform of the Knights of the Round, his cloak being white and gold. The mere sight of the 'Strongest Knight' radiated his authority.

"Oh, hey, Bismarck!" Gino waved at him cheerfully, while Anya just stood like a tree next to him. The Knight of One ignored the blonde's casual greeting and instead focused more on the person making them company.

"Lord Waldstein, what a pleasant surprise." Julius smirked, as he greeted the man.

"The pleasure's all mine, your highness." Bismarck nodded, as he then turned to the other two. "I trust my subordinates haven't given you much trouble?" Asked the man.

"Nothing out of the ordinary that I've come to expect." Julius shrugged, while Anya continued to stare at him from the side. It was very unnerving to say the least. He figured that there was something strange with the girl, but this was becoming a little too strange for comfort.

Bismarck had seen Anya stare at the prince, but he thought nothing of it. Gino, on the other hand, did not help the situation at all. He glanced towards Anya and then towards Julius, then back at Anya and back at Julius. He repeated the process for a few seconds until a light-bulb lit in his head, as if to signal that he had figured out something.

A huge grin appeared on the blonde's face, as he walked behind Anya and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Me and Anya are gonna go and check out what's prepped for food." Gino said with a goofy grin, as he carried off to somewhere with the small pink haired knight, his statement not leaving much impact on the other two men, since they had come to expect such behavior from the Knight of Three.

Going over to a corner of the huge room, Gino and Anya were now standing next to the wall, with Anya leaned on it, clicking something on her phone, while Gino had got off to get them something to drink. He returned with two glasses of orange juice and handed one over to Anya, who took the beverage and began to drink it.

Gino downed his juice in one gulp, while Anya was drinking hers slowly.

"Say." Gino started the conversation, gaining Anya's attention, as a goofy grin appeared on his face. "Anya, do you, like, have a crush on prince Julius?" He asked, hoping to get something out of his small framed companion.

Of course, he was answered with complete silence and a deadpan look from Anya, as she stared at him emptily for a few seconds and then returned her attention to her phone.

"C'mon, don't give me the silent treatment!" Gino dramatized. "You and I are buds, aren't we?" He continued, hoping to get the girl to talk, whilst knowing how difficult of a task that was. Still, if there was something he was exceedingly good at, it was socializing with people.

"Yes." Anya nodded in response, while looking at her phone.

"You know, you don't sound very convincing when you don't even look at me when you say that." Gino grumbled, somewhat disheartened, but then returned his positive aura in an instant, as he continued trying to make small talk. "You act like you don't care, but I saw you staring at the prince. Feel free to lay all the juicy thoughts out on your best bud!" He continued with his optimistic attitude.

"You're wrong." Anya told him with her usual stoic tone of voice, scrolling through some pictures on her phone, which caused Gino to pause for a second.

"I am?" He asked, confused.

"I was just assessing something." Replied the girl.

"Sure you were. You were assessing your love for him." Gino started all over again.

"No, I was thinking that he seemed… familiar, somehow… but, the more I think about it, the more confused I get." Replied Anya, somewhat confused in trying to explain.

"Sooo, by that you mean?" The blond asked, lost from his friend's train of thought.

"He is strange." Anya replied outright, at which Gino burst out laughing.

"Strange, huh? Yeah, that's a word to describe the guy." He continued to laugh, while unknown to him, Anya was checking a certain picture on her phone. The picture had been taken a few weeks prior to the murder of Empress Marianne vi Britannia.

It featured the empress, her children and, strangely enough, Anya in it. The pink haired girl did not know what to make of this, confused, as she had no memory of such an event. Her expression turned from her usual stoic into a saddened one, while Gino was rambling things to himself, not paying attention to her. A single thought crossed her mind, as she continued to stare at the picture. _Why can't I remember?_

After Gino and Anya had headed off elsewhere, Julius had spent some time conversing with the Knight of One.

"So, you have been appointed to lead the war against the EU, your highness?" Bismarck asked.

"Yes and soon the E.U. is going to feel the change in the winds." Julius replied with a confident smirk. "I plan to deliver a complete and utter victory to Britannia. There will be nothing short of total desolation of the enemy!" He chuckled sinisterly.

"We shall see." Replied Bismarck, who inwardly sighed. _Good lord, this kid is too arrogant for his own good. Your majesty, I do not see how this child has any potential to for your plan. Well, orders are orders._ Bismarck finished his train of thought and resumed his conversation with the prince. "I am actually surprised. For someone with your track record and tactical prowess, why did you settle for the position of military advisor?"

"Hmm? Oh, that ordeal. It is quite simple really. Schneizel is regarded as the epitome of our political system, while Cornelia is considered to be the symbol of the military." Julius said, as then a huge grin settled on his face. "Becoming military advisor has placed me in the middle of my siblings' standings, so that way I have more freedom in choosing my course of action, though I'd really like to get my hands on experimental Knightmare frame technology." The prince chuckled. "Perhaps I will ask father to appoint me as a member of the Knights of the Round when I return, carrying the spoils of victory from Europa, or maybe I could pull some more strings with Schneizel."

"Is that so? Then I would actually like to test your strength for myself if the time comes." Bismarck smirked.

"Oh, believe me, it will. That will be a duel I will be eagerly anticipating." Julius grinned, as he began to walk away from the Knight of One. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Lord Waldstein." He said with his back turned to the knight, a mocking smile placed on his face.

After the prince left, Bismarck let out a sigh and took a glass of champagne from a waitress walking by him. He looked on in the direction Julius had left, as he drank some of the contents of his drink. _Lady Marianne… No, it is not my place to judge what has become of your child._ Bismarck closed his eyes and finished his drink. _The prince should exercise more restraint. Senseless bloodshed is only a waste of resources._

* * *

 **C's world**

Emperor Charles zi Britannia was standing at the top of a monument surrounded by a sandy sky and light. This was the fabled Ragnarok connection, his plan for the fate of the world. His tranquility was interrupted by the appearance of one of the members of the Geass Order.

"Report." The emperor's deep voice resounded throughout the place.

"Yes, your majesty." The man dressed in the garbs of the order bowed and proceeded with his report. "Prince Julius vi Britannia has overtaken leadership over the war with the EU from Prince Schneizel el Britannia."

"Hmm, this was most likely Schneizel's doing. He intentionally allowed Julius to have control over the war, so he could gauge him by his own standards. How utterly mundane." The emperor responded.

"Sir Waldstein is also proceeding with your orders of keeping an eye out for the twelfth prince, though he will not be able to continue doing so when the prince leaves for Euro-Britannia." Said the man.

"There is no need. This whole affair is but merely a test. A test which Julius will have to pass if he wishes to prove himself." Charles said with his stern voice and back turned to the member of the order.

Right now he had to proceed with caution. The Ragnarok connection was far from complete and he didn't need anything to distract him from its success. That said, he was strangely anxious regarding his son, Julius. Unlike Schneizel, who was clearly interested in the world as it was, Julius was more of an times, he found himself wondering what was it that his arrogant son sought. The emperor didn't know on which side the young prince was and he hated the unknown.

"See to it that we have tabs on my sons' whereabouts." The emperor ordered.

"Yes, your majesty!" The man behind him saluted and was on his way out.

After he had left, a voice called out to Charles. A voice he was all too familiar with.

"Marianne's child is giving you trouble?" A childish voice could be heard as its owner approached the emperor.

"Nothing of the sort. I just want to be well informed." Replied Charles, turning to look towards his companion.

"My, how unlike you, to be concerned for your children." Responded the child with a mischievous smirk.

"I have no care for those that live in a world full of lies. My only concern is the Ragnarok connection, brother." The emperor said, turning his back to his companion, whose' smirk became a grin.

* * *

 **Royal Palace, Ball Room**

Schneizel was having a good time, keeping up appearance before the nobles and other aristocracy of Britannia. The second prince was a very handsome man, with fair skin, corn-silk blonde hair that fell across the back of his neck, and cold, violet eyes. He was very tall, standing at roughly more than two meters of height. He wore a long, royal purple tunic that was bordered with black and gold accents, and across his mid-section was a loosely fitting white belt, ending right at his kneecaps, and covering a portion of white slacks. Over this he wore a white over-coat that had a stiff, black, high-backed collar that showed a crimson silk inside, and golden epaulettes at the shoulders.

The man was content with his decision of allowing his younger brother to play commander in his stead. He wanted to gauge just how far Julius had come in all these years, so he figured that a worthy challenge had presented itself to be given. That said, he did not expect his younger brother to actually have anything to discuss with him.

"Prime minister, I would like to have a word with you." Julius said, as he approached his older brother.

"Oh, now isn't this a surprise." Schneizel turned to his brother and gave him a warm smile, while the nobles around him backed away. "It is rare of you to socialize like this. What could the homicide prince of Britannia want to discuss with me?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

For the years in which he had observed Julius grow, he found out that the boy was really good at using masks to hide his real ambitions. In fact, he believed that the crude manner in which he portrayed himself to be nothing more than a facade to keep attention off him. That was one of the things that made his younger brother so interesting to Schneizel.

Julius smirked at his brother's inquiry, while the nobles, hearing the younger prince's moniker scrambled away even further. "I am aware that you are the founder of the Britannian Special Research Division. I was wondering if you could spare some of your time to arrange a meeting for me with them." Stated Julius, playing with one of the crystals that hanged over his shoulder.

This request peeked Schneizel's interest. "I'm pretty sure that I can arrange for you to meet with Earl Asplund before his flight to Area 11." Schneizel replied with a warm smile.

"You're stationing them there? Hmph, Clovis will most likely waste their potential." Julius frowned at his brother's decision.

"You shouldn't be so spiteful towards family. I feel it is safe to say that Clovis will be able to manage properly." Schneizel replied to Julius' mockery of Clovis. "That said, I need to ask, for what would you need 'Camelot's help?" The second prince asked.

"I want to make a commission to the Earl, which I'm sure he wouldn't turn down." Julius grinned, which prompted Schneizel to raise his eyebrows at him. Before Schneizel could continue the conversation, Julius spoke. "My request is directed for him, because none are as adept in bringing in new Knightmare Frame technology to the table as Earl Asplund and his team, unless I have to go out of my way and scavenger hunt for Rakshata Chawla."

Schneizel had a clear idea of what his younger brother wanted out of his meeting with the 'Camelot' executive, so he shrugged and smiled at him. "I understand. You've certainly turned to the right place for the creation of new weapons."

"Indeed." Julius nodded. "I think I will be bidding you goodbye for now, brother." He said, speaking the last words venomously, and proceed to walk away, before Schneizel called out to him.

"Julius, before you go, there was actually something I wanted to ask you." Schneizel said.

"Oh? What might that be?" Julius turned around to face his brother, now standing a few feet away from him.

"What do you think of this?" Schneizel asked, gesturing to the party.

Julius frowned and shrugged, as he answered the older prince. "Just another publicity stunt made to favor the nobility. A waste of resources, if you ask me." Julius narrowed his gaze towards his brother. "I can't imagine why you would ask me something that I'm pretty sure you already knew the answer of."

"Oh, think nothing of it. I just wanted to converse with you some more." Schneizel smiled, which started to irritate Julius, who hated how calm and friendly his brother always remained, no matter the situation presented to him. "Well then, please don't allow me to keep you. Have a nice day." Schneizel said, as he bid goodbye to Julius.

Julius turned around sharply, making his cape float briefly behind him, briskly walking away from Schneizel, as the older prince watched him leave.

Having had enough of the foolhardy gathering of nobles and finished speaking with the people of interest, Julius decided that it was high time he vacated the premises. Night had already fallen, for which Julius wasn't quite pleased that he wasted so much time. When he walked outside the Royal Palace, a squadron of guards saluted him, as he went past them. He arrived at the parking where a limousine awaited him, with the driver waiting for his arrival.

A servant opened the door for the prince, as he entered the back of the car and sat inside. It was very spacious and fancy, which was to be taken as a granted, considering it was a limousine used by a member of the royal family. The driver was already at the wheel, awaiting his orders.

"Good evening, your highness. Where to?" Asked the driver, as he started the engine.

"Drive home. I'm sick and tired of this place." Julius ordered, leaning back on the seat and resting his arm on the door next to him.

"Understood, my lord." The driver nodded and drove off.

The drive home wasn't anything special. Julius was being silent throughout the whole way, which was nothing new and to the driver, it would've been strange if the prince actually felt like talking. The driver was used to his master's way of doing things and never felt like questioning him.

After a while they arrived at their destination, Aries Villa. The driver entered through the main gate and drove along the pathway leading to the mansion. To the sides of the road the beautiful gardens could be seen under the moonlight, as the car traveled along them. The mansion soon came into view, with its windows emanating the light from inside the building. The driver pulled over the limo in front of the main entrance and exited out of the vehicle. He went over and opened the door to his master's seat, who stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath.

"You're free of duty, once you park the car." Julius told the driver.

"Yes, your highness." The driver saluted and went to do as he was told.

The mansion was quite large for a single prince to be living in it, which thankfully wasn't the case. It was home for all of the servants loyal to the prince. Of course, most of them were part of the old staff, which worked there back when Empress Marianne lived there with her children. Julius, being the only surviving child of the empress, had inherited the mansion along with the servants living in it, who, actually, stayed loyal to him even after his mother's and sibling's deaths.

Julius took a slight breath and walked towards the door. There, he saw one of the butlers waiting to open it for him.

"Welcome back, my lord." The butler bowed to the prince.

"At ease." Julius replied.

The butler then proceeded to open the door, making way for Julius to enter. Once inside, Julius was greeted by the rest of the staff, who had assembled for his return.

"Welcome back, your highness." All of them bowed to him.

The moment he entered the mansion, Julius' cold gaze softened and his tone of voice changed from harsh and arrogant to calm and serene.

"I'm home." He muttered the words to no one in particular, as he then turned to his servants. "Good evening, everyone." He said to them, almost smiling.

Home, a place where one feels safe from the dangers of the world. Of course, this was hardly the case for the big mansion, which had been attacked by terrorists or hired mercenaries, but to the prince, it was the only place where he felt comfort, his home.

As he walked further inside, two maids got next to him and took his black and gold jacket with its cape, as he undressed from it, leaving himself in the black top, pants, gloves and shoes, and, of course, his eye patch. "How did your day go, your majesty?" The two maids asked, as they carefully folded the prince's clothing.

"One huge headache, that's what it was, though I managed to get some work done." Julius replied, as he then walked further inside. "All of you are free to go." He told his servants, who bowed and one by one returned to their usual routines.

Each respected the prince, who treated them like family, despite everything that was known about him and how he acted. Every servant in the mansion knew that their master was a completely different person when inside his home. To them it seemed natural, for who would stay the same when his mother and siblings were taken away, not even to mention the many attempts of hired hands to dispose of the prince. Yet, their master always came out alive, no matter what was thrown at him.

As all the servants left, Julius found himself gazing at the staircase, imagining that he was seeing Nunnally and Lelouch, as children, run down from the steps along with their mother slowly walking behind them to greet him. He knew that it was just his scarred mind playing tricks on his vision, but it was something that he had gotten used to. After all, he didn't have much left of his family, so these imaginations were soothing to the lone prince's heart, which he had shut off to the rest of the world.

With a slight shake of his head, Julius got out of the trance and proceeded to walk towards his room, while the servants returned to their jobs. He arrived in his room, closing and locking the door behind him. It was spacious and luxurious, just like one would expect from the home of royalty. Julius sat silently on his bed, as he took a moment to collect himself. His left eye itched like hell, begging to be released from the eye-patch to gaze upon the world which the right one saw.

Julius walked over in front of a large mirror that was placed on the wall of one of the closets in the room. He looked at his reflection, as if he was expecting to see someone else than the seventeen-year-old dark haired young man that he was. He proceeded to remove his eye-patch, which he then put off to the side on one of the drawers. Even with the eye-patch removed, he kept his left eye shut, and upon gazing again at his reflection he put his hand over his face to cover it. A small smile crept upon his face as he stared at himself.

 _Soon._ He thought to himself as he chuckled. _Soon the game will begin and we will see who will be the last one standing when the dust settles, father._

He then walked over to the drawer on which he had placed his eye-patch and put it back on. He exited his room, heading towards the baths. Inside, like always, were already prepared towels and bathrobes for use and a tray in which to discard used clothing. Julius proceeded to take off his clothes and shoes, placing them in the tray for cleaning, revealing his toned lean body, after which he walked inside. Taking off his eye-patch and placing it to the side, he proceeded to take a shower, which helped him relax his mind.

After he was done, he put on his eye-patch and walked out of the shower, his hair and body dripping drops of water. He took one of the towels and proceeded to dry his hair with it, after which he put a bathrobe on and tied it around his waist so it wouldn't be loose.

He went back to his room where he changed into black formal pants and shoes and white shirt with long sleeves. After that, Julius moved over to a chess set he had placed on one of the drawers next to his bed. Chess didn't use to be his forte when he was young, it was always his twin brother's strong side, since he was praised as the genius of the family, while he was always the more physically fit. After his siblings' passing away, chess became one of the things Julius took up, to honor his brother. Needless to say, he became very good at it Sitting on the mattress, he moved the black king forward and let the board be.

"Now then, from here on it is a simple game of waiting." Julius thought out loud, referring to the chessboard, which he used as a way to sort out events that were happening in the world.

A few seconds after that he heard knocking on his door.

"Dinner is ready my lord. Everyone awaits your presence." A maid called out from outside the room.

Julius stood up from his bed and walked over to the door, opening it and stepping outside, the maid in question standing before him to escort him to dinner. "Well then, let us make haste." He said, as both of them walked towards the dining room.

Said room was huge. It had a ton of space, as it had enough tables and chairs to accommodate every person living in the mansion. One of the walls of the room was made entirely of ornamented glass, which gave view to the garden outside. The chandeliers lit the room perfectly, as their warm light showcased the intricate designing of the walls. The room was filled with the smell of delicious food prepared for everyone by the chefs.

Upon arriving, everyone stood up from their seat and bowed to the prince, as he made his way to his seat, which the maid accompanying him pulled back, so he could sit in it, after which she bowed to her master and left for her own seat.

Julius had set household rules that everybody should have lunch and dinner together, breakfast being excused, because most of the servants had their jobs to do early in the morning. The staff were really moved by the prince's wish back when he was ten-years-of age, when he first inherited the place, and since then it had become a standard for everybody to share lunch and dinner together like family. To them, it didn't matter what the prince did or what the world thought of him.

To Julius, however, it only mattered that he wasn't alone at the table, as otherwise he would feel suffocated by the emptiness his home had. Even as a kid, he always treated his mother's servants nicely, but now he showed them kindness he showed only an exceptional few people, kindness that was almost completely gone from his heart. To him, it was enough to know that he wouldn't wake up to the realization that he was all alone in the world. Childish, sure. Naïve, absolutely. His home was the only place where he would allow such things to influence him, but that was the way he had decided to go about in his home and no one was going to take that away from him.

"A toast to the splendid dinner that awaits us." Julius said, as he raised his glass, which was full of water.

"Cheers." Everyone said, clacking their glasses and beginning to indulge themselves with the food before them.

While everyone was eating, one of the butlers spoke up after he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "So, your highness, you really are leaving for the battlefront in Europa?"

Julius took a sip from his water to help swallow the piece of steak he was eating and answered. "Yes, I will be departing for St. Petersburg in three days." He said and then returned his attention to his steak.

"Anything we can do to be of help, your majesty?" One of the maids asked.

"I want this place to be like I was never gone when I come back victorious." Julius placed his hands on the table and smirked. "That is a manageable feat, yes?"

The faces of every member of the staff of the Aries villa lightened, hearing their lord assured of his victory and safe return. "Yes, my lord!" All of them exclaimed happily.

"Good, now enough talk of war. Let us resume dinner." Julius said, everyone doing as they were told, as he began to eat the exquisitely prepared stewed chicken.

Like that, the day ended peacefully for the twelfth prince of Britannia.

On the next day, Julius woke up feeling excited about his upcoming challenge in the face of the Europia United. He would relish crushing them, but right now, he was busy having breakfast.

The sun's morning light shined brightly over him, as the wind blew in the aroma of the flowers in the garden. Julius was currently having his breakfast outside in the garden, like he used to with his family when he was younger. He was dressed in a similar fashion to the way he was at dinner last night, though his pants were dark blue. The prince was enjoying his morning tea, when one of the butlers came up to him.

"Good morning, sire." The butler bowed.

"Morning." Julius replied, taking another sip from his tea.

"I came to inform your highness that we have a guest." Said the butler.

"A guest?" Julius raised an eyebrow. He hardly ever had guests and when he did, most of the time it was…

"Julius!" Rang a girl's voice, as she ran towards the prince.

Julius recognized the voice all too well. He turned his head in the direction from which a girl was running towards him. She had long pink hair that was styled downwards with two buns on each side of her head. She had bluish violet eyes and was dressed in a long white and pink dress with rose ornaments. His face went from curious to calm, as he greeted the girl.

"Good morning, Euphemia." He said, as the girl arrived before him.

"Oh, where are my manners, good morning." Euphemia greeted him, as she pulled up her dress from the side and bowed gracefully.

Euphemia li Britannia was the third princess of the Britannian royal family. She was a cheerful well-mannered girl, who was still yet to make her public debut as royalty, since she was still attending school.

"Please, take a seat." Julius gestured to his sister, who did just that, as he then turned to his butler. "Bring us some more tea and snacks, would you?" He said.

"Yes, your highness." The butler nodded and was on his way, leaving the two siblings by themselves in the garden.

"So, how's school going, little sister?" Julius asked Euphemia, as he took a sip from his tea.

"Oh, it's fine. Nothing interesting really happens." Euphemia trailed off with a smile, until she remembered why she had come on such short notice. "Ah, that's right! You're leaving for the war with the EU! When were you going to tell me?" Euphemia asked energetically, puffing up her cheeks to look imposing.

To Julius she looked hilarious as she pouted. He chuckled lightly at the sight of his sister. "Well, I thought Cornelia would've given you the news, plus I made that public speech, so I believe that counts." He said with a small smile.

"Sister did tell me!" Euphemia exasperated. "She told me you were being mean and unreasonable again." She said with a pout, as if to make him regret his actions. "And did you have to be so ruthless when giving your speech?" She asked.

"I'm afraid so." Julius replied with a smirk, to which Euphemia wasn't overly satisfied.

"When will you be leaving?" The princess asked her half-brother.

"In two days not counting today, when the Leviathan is ready and prepared for takeoff." Julius responded, but he saw the troubled look in his sister's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I… I don't want you to go, Julius." Euphemia said with a worried expression. "It's dangerous and you might not return…" She was cut off by Julius who raised his hand signaling her to stop.

"Euphie, did you not hear my speech yesterday?" He asked with a warm smile on his face. "Don't you worry, I am going to come back home safe and sound, bringing victory with me." He told the younger girl. "I think I've made it clear by now, after every single fool that tried to threaten my life. I'm not going to die, not even if the whole world is against me."

Euphie was silent for a moment, but then smiled back at her brother across the table. "Ok, but I want you to promise me that you'll come visit when you have the chance." She said with a surprisingly demanding tone.

"I promise." Julius raised his hands to indicate his surrender to her point, snickering at Euphemia's stubbornness.

Then, right on time, the butler from before returned and served the freshly made tea and baked biscuits and croissants. He stood off to the side, awaiting further instructions, as the two siblings enjoyed their shared breakfast.

After they were done, Euphemia spend some time walking around the gardens with Julius and then came the time for her to leave for home. Both she and Julius were now standing before the entrance of the mansion, as they bid each other goodbye.

"I'll have to be going. Cornelia will be really mad with me if I don't get back on time." Euphemia said with a sad expression.

Julius walked over to her and placed his hand on her head, gently stroking her hair. "Hey, this isn't a farewell, we'll see each other again, so cheer up, okay?" He said.

Hearing him say that made Euphemia smile, as she gave her brother a huge bear hug. "Thank you, Julius." She said and let go of him, waving him goodbye, as she entered the car that had driven her to the villa. "Goodbye, take care!" She waved at him cheerfully.

"Goodbye." Julius sent his sister off with a slight wave of his hand. The sister that still saw him as an older brother and the only member of the royal family who was pure of heart. The twelfth prince enjoyed his sister's company, as it always reminded him of the past, but he knew that those times were long gone.

Later that day, Julius had returned to the capital, dressed in his black and gold garbs, to meet with the head of the special research division. He had just arrived before his brother's little 'toy box' that Camelot was. The whole research team was packing for their trip to Area Eleven. The sight before him was quite peculiar indeed. The whole room was one big lab, with blueprints and drafts all over the place. The personnel were packing up some of the drafts and blueprints, probably the ones they intended to continue working on.

Before Julius could state his presence in the vicinity, a woman as tall as Julius, dressed in the uniform of the team, a white shirt with a green tie, over which she wore an orange suit with black linings and buttons that ended in a knee length skirt, came up to him. The woman had indigo colored short hair with light blue eyes.

"Welcome, your majesty." The woman bowed to the prince. "Prince Schneizel said that you would be arriving sometime today, but we didn't expect you so soon. Please forgive our humble welcome." She said with a soft voice.

"There's no problem, Miss…" Julius raised an eyebrow, indicating that he wasn't aware of the woman's identity.

"Ah, where are my manners, before a member of the royal family, too?!" She panicked shortly, but then cleared her throat and saluted. "Cecile Croomy, member of the special research division and assistant to Lloyd Asplund, reporting for duty, your majesty!"

"A pleasure meeting you, Miss Croomy." Julius nodded and then returned to the subject he was interested in. "Could you be so kind to get Earl Asplund for me? I have something that I'm sure will intrigue him." He said, taking out a document folder with lots of papers inside.

"Speak of the devil and he shall arrive, as they say!" Came a goofy voice.

The man standing before Julius was rather tall and had a friendly smile on his face. He had lavender hair and grey-blue eyes, over which he wore a pair of very large glasses that covered most of his face. He wore a green turtleneck with a lab coat over his shirt and black pants and shoes.

"Earl Asplund, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Julius grinned, as he greeted the earl. "I'm a big admirer of your work." He said with a confident smile, as he continued. "Knightmares are one of my favorite instruments of destruction."

"Oooh, you're quite different up close and personal, aren't you?" Lloyd's smile grew, as he scaled the prince from head to toe. "Seeing the 'homicide prince' in the flesh is a totally different experience than watching you on TV." Lloyd said with his usual overjoyed tone.

"Lloyd! You are speaking to a prince, behave yourself!" Cecile scolded him, but the man paid her no attention.

Julius raised his hand to indicate to Cecile that she should calm down. "Miss Cecile, please, there is no need for anyone to raise their voice." Julius said, as he then returned his gaze to the earl, whose reputation of abolishing the code of respect was well known throughout Britannia. "Anyway, I would appreciate it if I could get to talk to you in private, about certain matters. Of course, Miss Croomy is free to join us if she chooses." He said with a crafty smile, which did not go unnoticed by Lloyd.

"Business as per usual, I see." Lloyd nodded to himself and then grinned widely. "Please, follow me." He issued the prince to walk after him towards his office along with Cecile.

The office wasn't anything special, just your typical room with a desk, couches and table in between them. Julius noticed that on the desk were more discarded drafts, which spoke volumes about his hosts' lack of organization.

"Please, have a seat." Lloyd said, as he sat down on one of the couches, with Cecile sitting next to him and Julius sitting opposite them. Immediately when the prince seated himself, Lloyd broke out into a goofy smile. "Sooo, what can I do for you, Julie-boy?"

Julius' right eye twitched upon hearing the fashion in which the scientist referred to him, Cecile even got a little nervous, but he pretended like nothing was wrong. "Well, how about I let all of these do the talking for me?" Julius smirked, as he placed the document folder and pushed it towards Lloyd.

Intrigued, Lloyd picked up the folder and began to go through its contents, with Cecile looming over his shoulder to get a look at them as well. Words weren't necessary to describe Lloyd's interest, as he began to grin widely and shuffled quickly through the papers, while Cecile was just awe struck by what she saw in the documents.

When he finished, Lloyd broke out into a cheerful laughter, which prompted Julius to raise an eyebrow at him in confusion. "Oh, these are just splendid pieces of work!" The scientists exclaimed happily, as he put the papers back on the table. "The ideas are theoretically sound, though it will take quite a lot of time and effort to develop and implement. You have quite the design over here." Lloyd added with a friendly smile.

"So? Would you consider taking up my request?" Julius asked, entangling his fingers, wanting to hear the researcher's verdict.

"S-Sir, with all due respect, those are designs featuring every experimental system still in the testing and others who are yet to be perfected." Cecile said, wanting to confirm the prince's objective.

"Indeed, we're talking probably about an eighth, no, ninth generation Knightmare Frame!" Lloyd exclaimed with so much enthusiasm, that he shot up from his seat and spun around on one leg.

"Yes, my request to you is a Knightmare Frame unlike any other seen before it, fitted for my own personal use." Julius nodded, confirming his intentions.

"Hmm, I must say, this commission sounds very tempting." Lloyd said as he adjusted his glasses with a smile on his face. "What exactly are you giving us to work with?"

Julius smiled confidently, as he leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs. "You have full freedom to go about this project as you wish. I will be providing the necessary funding, so there is no need to worry about cost expenses, although I suggest you do not waste valuable resources." The prince shot them a quick glare before he continued. "Let's see, for the time I'll be giving you to complete this project… One year and a half, that's the time you're going to get from me."

"That's quite the big time margin you've given us to work with, your highness." Cecile noted, surprised.

"I do not want to deter you from your main line of work." Julius smirked. "You can think of this as a side project, if you will."

"Well then, consider your deal accepted, your majesty." Lloyd grinned and spun around into a small bow.

"Excellent, I'm leaving these with you. I have no further use for them." Julius said, pointing to the documents, but then he remembered a certain piece of information about Camelot. "I hoped to actually see the world's first seventh generation Knightmare Frame, since I'm here anyway." The prince said to his companions, who immediately cheered up upon the mention of their work.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Lloyd exclaimed, overjoyed to showcase his work. "Cecile, would you be so kind, as to go and unlock the hangar?" He asked his assistant, who nodded and was on her way.

Cecile exited out of the office, followed by Lloyd and the prince. She went over to a sealed entrance to a hangar and began to input the codes for opening it. Julius watched with peculiar curiosity, as the big metal door opened and revealed a white and gold humanoid Knightmare Frame.

A smirk crossed the prince's face, as he laid his eyes on the glorious machine. "It's astonishing. The world's first seventh generation Knightmare Frame…"

"The Lancelot, your majesty! My life's pride and joy!" Lloyd exclaimed overly enthusiastic, as he basked in the presence of his creation. "It features the one of its kind Core Luminous, comprised of liquid sakuradite. It is also equipped with the experimental Blaze Luminous shielding system and MVS sword system." The scientist began to explain his prided creation's features. "Mind you, this is just a prototype." He added at the end.

"Hoo? It would seem Schneizel isn't paying you for nothing." Julius said, as he folded his arms. "Well, seeing this has only made me sure that I've left my project in the most dependable hands." The prince grinned at the earl.

"Oh, please, you praise me too much." Lloyd laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

Cecile looked solemnly to the prince from the side. "No, really, avoid praising him at all." She said with a disappointed expression. "He always acts like a child." She added with a sigh.

Julius could see where she was coming from and felt sorry for the poor woman that had to spend most of her time around the man. His train of thought was quickly interrupted, however, by Lloyd loudly clearing his throat to change the topic of the conversation.

Julius let out a mental sigh, thinking that he should've expected something along these lines. Figuring that his work with the Special research division was done, he prepared to leave. "My work here is done. I must leave to prepare for my flight aboard the Leviathan. Earl Asplund, Miss Croomy, it was a pleasure doing business with you. My credit account is along the files that I've left you, so feel free to use it as a resource, if you find the need to."

"Ah, yes, you're the new head of the war with the EU. Well then, don't allow little old us to be keeping you, your highness." Lloyd waved at the prince with a smile, sending him off. "Buh-bye!"

"Farewell, your majesty." Cecile bowed to the prince as he left.

When Julius exited the facility, Lloyd turned to his assistant with a beaming smile.

"This is just wonderful! More sponsorship means more equipment to work with!" Lloyd exclaimed happily.

"Yes, with this increase in budget we'll surely not have to starve to death thanks to your wasted spending." Cecile replied equally satisfied, but then her tone changed into a more serious one. "Lloyd, how are we going to handle the prince's request?"

At her question, Llyod chuckled and smiled deviously. "Like we always do, my dear! We'll use the Lancelot for data gathering to complete the necessary systems and when we have everything we need," He paused for dramatic effect, flailing his arms around. "we'll get wild with those designs!" Lloyd exclaimed, having already planned everything out in his head, though then a thought hit him. "I sure hope we are able to find a suitable devicer for the Lancelot." He said with a semi-conflicted expression.

"I'm sure we will." Cecile said to cheer him up. "Now come on, we have more things to pack." She said, as everybody returned to packing up for their trip.

Julius was rather pleased with himself. He had managed to accomplish everything necessary for the currently needed preparation work and was sitting in the back of his limousine with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He was being driven back to his villa and was eagerly anticipating his return home for a relaxing game of chess.

Of course, not all things always went according to plan and the twelfth prince was reminded of that when he saw a couple of Sutherlands to be blocking his path. He hated how whenever things were proceeding as they should, something always managed to get in his way. This something, however, was going to learn that it was a grave mistake to cross the twelfth prince of the royal Britannian family. It would be their last mistake, as the driver stopped the car before the Sutherlands.

Blocking the prince's path were three Sutherlands, most likely piloted and a group of six nobles behind the Knightmares. _Ugh, great._ The prince groaned inwardly, as he massaged his forehead with his fingers. _These money-addicted bacteria just don't learn their place, do they?_

"Julius vi Britannia! Step outside of the vehicle and we won't have to make things ugly!" Demanded one of the nobles with a smug grin.

"Your highness…!" The driver was concerned for his lord's safety and turned around to him to protest against this course of action, but found the prince raising his hand, gesturing for him to calm down.

A devilish grin was placed on the prince's face, as he spoke to the driver. "Please, there is no need to worry, nor call the police. You seem to forget." He said as he opened the door next to him. "That they refer to me as the 'homicide prince'." He finished with a smirk, as he exited out of the car and walked towards the Knightmares, his cape gently flapping behind him due to the blowing wind.

"Hands where we can see them!" Demanded one of the pilots, aiming the rifle of the Sutherland at the prince, to which Julius simply raised his hands next to his face, as if to indicate his surrender, continuing to walk towards the nobles.

The perpetrators of the ambush were laughing at the state that the prince was in. "Hahaha! Look at the feared 'homicide prince'! Nothing more than a scared brat!" They all gloated with laughter. "You will pay for all the atrocities and offenses you've committed against nobility!"

A small smile placed itself on Julius' face, as he could already figure out how things were going to play out. "Well, gentlemen, it would seem you got me." He said with a cocky tone of voice and shrug of his shoulders. "Still, if you wanted to make an example of my death, wouldn't it be better if you actually killed me off in the middle of nowhere?" He said, knowing that trash like that always responded to taunts like this.

"Heh, that is actually not a bad idea." One of the nobles said with a satisfied smirk, as he stroked his chin. "You will receive the most humiliating death possible for being so arrogant towards nobility."

"Yes, everyone…" Another one of the nobles gestured to the three Sutherlands. "Let's escort his 'highness' to his gravesite."

"Yes, my lord!" The pilots responded, as they issued Julius to walk in front of the group with his hands still in the air.

They all began heading off into the side-path, which led to deep inside the forest surrounding the main road. The nobles were cracking with laughter and anticipation of the prince's death, the Sutherlands moving in front of them, while Julius walked with his back turned to them, the smile on his face widening with each step he took. Eventually they reached a point at which the nobles decided it would be suitable to kill the prince. They issued him to turn around and as he did so, they found him with a sinister grin on his face.

"Laughing in the face of your own death? How hopeless." One of the nobles mocked the prince.

"Well, since you are going to kill me and all, would you like to know a dangerous secret of mine?" Julius asked, his smile widening and his eyebrow raised to form a mocking attitude towards the nobles.

Of course, insufferable fleas that they were, they immediately jumped at the chance of gossip. "And what might that be?" They asked.

"You should feel honored. I only show this secret of mine to a special group of people." Julius said with a crafty smile, as he reached for his eye-patch and removed it from his head.

The nobles were all surprised and confused, as were the pilots, who in their confusion did not figure to open fire at the prince, not that it would've helped them much anyway.

"The people to whom I show this are special, do you know why?" Julius asked, as his face broke out into a twisted grin, his left eye opening, revealing it to have a more vibrant and deep violet color and a glowing red sigil of a flying bird in it, coupled with the offsetting fact that the sclera of his left eye was black instead of the natural white. "Because they all die."

And just as he said that, the red sigil in his left eye glowed, creating an unseen field which encompassed all of his surroundings, including the nobles and the three Knightmares. In the next instant, the nobles fell on their knees clutching their heads, their expressions twisted into mad fear, as they screamed horrified. The Sutherlands did not open fire, for the pilots inside were too clutching their heads and screaming at the top of their lungs, something of which Julius was fully aware.

The prince walked over to one of the nobles, who was on the ground clutching his head and screaming. The dark haired prince chuckled maniacally, as he then planted his foot on top of the noble's head, slamming it into the ground. "It seems that I must once again teach you just how far beneath me all of you are."He said, as he raised his foot and stomped on the head of the noble once more. "To think that mongrels like you could lay a hand on me, such insolence." He said and removed his foot from the skull of the terrified man, who continued to scream, like the others, who were under the effect of the prince's mysterious power.

The prince took a step back and grinned. "Now then, everyone," He said and spread his arms out to the side. "Please enjoy your hell." The screaming intensified, as the eyes of the nobles rolled into the back of their heads, the power affecting them completely breaking their mind. All of them reached for their throats and choked themselves to death, their lifeless bodies slumping to the ground. The pilots too lay dead inside their cockpits.

Julius stared at the ground with closed eyes. "Heh." His whole body began to shiver, as light chuckling could be heard from his lips. "Heheh-Ahahahaha!" He leaned his head back, as he broke out into mad laughter, standing amidst the dead bodies of the nobles that had attempted to attack him and the motionless Sutherlands behind him.

It all made for one twisted picture, as the prince's laughter soon died down. He leveled his head and stared off into nowhere in particular. "Nothing can stop me." He said with a twisted grin, as his left eye glowed its sinister red light.

* * *

 **Well, this it. A re-imagining of Code Geass with an OC brother of Lelouch's as one of the main characters, and yes this character is based on Julius Kingsley from Akito the Exiled, though I've given him a lot more detailed personality. It's just a one-shot for now. Anyway, I'd be really happy to hear you guys' thoughts and opinions on this idea and the style of writing. I'd really like it if anyone has any tips to share on how I can improve it further, or if it is okay as it is. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.**

 **Also, for copyright purposes, the cover art is not mine.**


	2. Setting off to where a Ghost roams

**Well, it looks like I'll be continuing this fic, though updates will most likely not be frequent. I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the previous chapter, so here is the second!**

* * *

Stage 2: Setting off to where a Ghost roams

Standing amidst the trees in the forest, the grass crunching beneath his feet, as he made his way back to the limousine, Julius put on his eye-patch and continued forward, not even making the effort of glancing back at his handiwork. That's right, he had effortlessly murdered three Knightmare pilots and six nobles, all thanks to the secret of his left eye. As he was on his way, Julius recalled the fateful night in which he acquired his power.

 **Aries Villa, 2010 atb**

It was night-time and most people had gone to sleep at the Ares Villa. Of course, all except for a certain violet eyed boy, who had sneaked out to play in the gardens. Julius was enjoying running around aimlessly in the dark of night, the moonlight reflecting beautifully off the flowers. He had used to do things like this all the time, little troublemaker that he was.

When he started to feel tired and the gentle embrace of sleep called to him, he decided to head back to his room. That night, his decision of staying outside the house made him see the awful side of humanity. When he entered quietly, to avoid being heard, he snuck around towards his room, till he heard his mother's voice and another that he didn't recognize. To Julius it was strange that the other voice sounded very childish and, with the driving force of a ten-year-old's curiosity, sneaked his way towards the two people talking.

He saw his mother, dressed in an orange dress, talking to a boy, who didn't look to be much older than him, with blonde hair that almost reached down to the ground and dark pink eyes. He was dressed in a white suit, wearing a long black and purple cloak over it. Julius concentrated to hear what they were talking about.

"What did you call me for? I've cleared everyone out of here, I even had Cornelia withdraw." Marianne said to the boy.

Julius became confused from hearing his mother. _She ordered Cornelia, the head of her bodyguard to withdraw? Why? Is that person that she is talking with so important?_ These were some of the questions that began to plague the ten-year-old boy, as he continued to listen to their conversation.

"Sorry to do this, especially without Charles around." The blond boy replied, making Julius aware that he was speaking about his father, the emperor.

"Is this about the sword of Akasha?" Marianne asked the boy, walking over to him.

Julius stood off to the side, hidden out of sight, and continued to listen to his mother and her companion. _Sword of Akasha? What is that? Some type of new Knightmare weaponry?_ Julius thought, confused. He couldn't understand what it was that his mother was talking about.

"Hmm?" The boy replied confused, but then shook his head slightly in denial. "Oh, no. This is only about Charles." He said, turning to face Marianne. "Ever since he met you, Charles has been acting like a different man. It seems to me that you and him have come to enjoy learning more about one another." The boy said with a slight threatening note in his voice. "You realize that if this continues, the contract we made will never be fulfilled, I'll be left alone."

Julius watched in utter confusion. _What is that boy talking about and what is his connection to father?_ He thought, as he then saw his mother's expression turning slightly worried. From there on, the night became a turning point for the poor ten-year-old boy, who had eavesdropped on his mother.

"From the beginning of time, it's always been the woman, that's led the man astray." The blond boy said with a smirk, which caused Marianne to frown in concern. He then pulled out a riffle from beneath his long cloak and pointed it at Marianne, who was shocked speechless by this.

Julius then watched in horror, as the bullets started firing from the gun, all of them unloading into his mother's torso. The woman's lifeless body fell down on the ground, blood pouring out of the bullet wounds. The blond kid smirked at his work, as he took out a phone from one of his pockets and started talking on it.

Julius was terrified from what he had seen, enough so that he couldn't even make out what the boy was saying on the phone. He wanted to scream out in fear, but put a hand over his mouth to prevent that from happening. The fear didn't allow him to think straight, as tears started to stream down his face as he looked at the corpse of his mother.

The moment he saw the blond boy to be distracted, he ran away from the mansion. The blond boy wasn't able to hear the running over the sound of more bullet shots that resounded in the room, his own courtesy.

Julius was running for his life, fear of self-preservation pushing him to run as fast and as far away as he could. As he ran and panted, tears fell from his eyes, crying for the mother he had just lost.

Eventually, his legs gave out on him and he tripped, falling to the ground face first. It hurt, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional one the ten-year-old boy was currently feeling. Julius lifted himself up and continued to cry. He hadn't gone far, as he was just some distance away from the gates of the mansion. He then thought of his siblings who he had left behind in the mansion, thinking that they too were in danger. Despair consumed the young prince, as he cried on the ground, unable to will himself to go back.

Then, a voice snapped him out of his weeping.

"This wasn't meant to happen." Said the voice.

Julius lifted his head up to see a young woman with long lime green hair and golden eyes. His eyes were too filled with tears to make out her appearance clearly. Making as much effort as he could to suppress his sobbing, he spoke to her.

"Why?" Julius muttered the words as he continued to sob.

His question had grabbed the woman's attention, as she knelt down in front of the prince to listen to him.

"Why did mother die?" Julius asked through tears, looking up at the woman pleadingly, desperate to know the answer.

The woman's face saddened at the words of the boy. She couldn't tell him the truth and even if she did, he probably wouldn't understand. She reached for his face with her hand and gently stroked his cheeks.

"A child always outlives their parent." The woman said affectionately to the boy, who clenched his fists after hearing her, trying to calm down and stop crying. "Oh?" The woman was curious at the boy's behavior, as he looked up at her.

"I… I don't want things to be this way!" Julius cried out. "I don't want this to be the end." He said, almost crying again, to which the woman retracted her hand and looked at him curiously.

"Then what if I told you that I could give you power? Power that can change everything." The woman said, gaining Julius' curiosity, as he stared and listened to her. "You are worthy of it, the power of the king. But know that it will condemn you to a life of solitude." The woman continued, as a symbol on her forehead glowed. "I will bestow you with the power, but you will enter a contract with me to make my one wish come true."

Julius was taken aback by what the woman had said. Yet more talk of things he couldn't understand. Still, if this woman was willing to help him, he would gladly accept whatever she had to offer. "Please." He muttered, before looking the woman in the eyes. "Give me this power you speak of."

"Then, you hereby accept this contract and are entitled to this Geass." The symbol on the woman's forehead continued to glow, as the link between her Code and the prince's consciousness was established.

Julius was thrown for a loop. He could see people dressed in ancient clothing, covered in red tattoos. He could see what he figured was some type of planet, as he fell into an abyss surrounded by strands of circuitry. The sheer magnitude of what was influencing his senses made him pass out on the ground.

When Julius regained consciousness, the green haired woman was nowhere to be seen. His head hurt severely, as he managed to right himself up and look at his surroundings. He was still outside the Aries villa, but he then saw a couple of strangely dressed people carrying guns leave through the entrance. They were all dressed in pure black garbs with the same red symbol that the green haired woman had on her head on them.

He was about to make a run for it and hide somewhere out of sight when one of the men spotted him. "We've got another witness!" Yelled out the man, as he and his companions aimed their guns at the young prince.

Julius could feel it. This was the end. He would die a meaningless death. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he could feel a strange sensation coming from his left eye. It was like his eyeball was slowly beginning to rise in temperature and in the next instant, the boy found himself staring at the group, which he believed were associated with the blond boy that killed his mother.

Then, as if on instinct, words escaped his mouth. "I, Julius vi Britannia, reject your existence!" He shouted, as a red emblem appeared in his left eye and glowed.

What happened next was too fast for the young prince to comprehend. The soldiers began to frantically clutch their heads before Julius, screaming for dear life, until they fell to the ground, their eyes on the back of their heads, blood slowly coming out of their mouths, since they had bitten off their tongues to escape from whatever it was that driving them insane. Julius stood awe struck, shocked by what had unfolded before him.

"Did I… do that?" Julius asked out loud, staring in disbelief, the symbol in his left eye disappearing. And then, a surge of pain came from his left eye, which made him pass out on the ground from shock.

 **Present**

Julius recalled the events from his memory, as he made his way towards the limousine waiting for him on the road. _That was the day I first used this power to take a life._ He thought, as he continued to walk and traced his fingers over his eye-patch. _I haven't met that strange woman since then, either._

From that day, Julius learned a few things. His power was called Geass and whatever it was, was somehow related to those men and that green haired woman. He also understood that whoever the boy was that killed his mother, had some type of connection with the emperor and since his father wasn't taking any repercussions about her death, that most likely meant that the blond boy was out of his reach and his father was in on the murder of his mother.

The prince resented his father deeply, not only for turning a blind eye to his mother's murder, but for also exiling his siblings out of Britannia. He had tried to prevent that from happening, but Lelouch wouldn't listen to him. His twin brother was infuriated by their father's negligence of not only their mother's death, but Nunnally's crippled state as well. Julius cursed his father the day he sent his siblings away, but knew that if he were to get to the bottom of things, he would have to stay in good graces with the emperor, concealing his true objective of revenge. He would manipulate and kill to get his way and when he finally had all the pieces in place, he would use his power to end his father and then, that blond kid.

Julius was no fool, he had figured out the specs of his power and just how dangerous it was, successfully managing to keep it a secret from any living person. After all, who would want a monster of a man, who could use and manipulate one of the most dangerous of human emotions, fear. His Geass could manipulate the sense of fear, however the user wished. Certain events in his life made the power more potent and unstable, forcing him to wear an eye-patch to conceal the truth behind his left eye. Thankfully, he was able to make up an excuse about how his left eye got damaged during one of the assassination attempts, which was half-true, so there weren't any questions being thrown at him for his eye-patch.

 _This upcoming war will be just one of many steps._ Julius thought, as he continued to walk. _I will get to you, father. I'll throw the world into despair and chaos if I have to._ The prince's gaze narrowed sinisterly. _Everything that obscures my reach of your throat will be removed, just like I've done to anyone foolish enough to stand in my way. Even if I destroy myself in the process, I will avenge my family!_

Upon arriving back at the road, he could see police Knightmares around the limousine and the driver was giving the policemen, whom he most likely called, his report on the situation. When one of the law enforcers saw the prince walking towards them, he alerted the others and they all ran over and bowed to Julius.

"Your highness!" They exclaimed as they bowed. "Are you alright?"

A small smirk crossed Julius' face, as he began to walk past them. "Not even a lock of hair has fallen from my head." He said with a confident attitude, but then a sinister smile crossed his lips. "Though I doubt that can be said about those foolish enough to attempt to assault me." His statement made all of the policemen shudder in fear, as the prince then added. "Don't bother searching for the bodies."

"Y-Yes, my lord!" The policemen exclaimed, utterly terrified. Each of them began to think how terrifying the twelfth prince of Britannia was.

"All of you are dismissed. You will go back to your station and report that nothing of interest has happened." Julius said with a threatening glare, making the policemen nod nervously in agreement. "Good. Well then, gentlemen. Let us all be on our way." He said, as he entered into the limo.

He waited for the driver to get back behind the wheel. Once the driver entered the vehicle and seated himself on the driver's seat, Julius ordered him. "Drive us back home." He said with a stern voice, his head rested on his fist, as he glanced outside the window.

"Yes, your highness." The driver responded, figuring that he shouldn't poke his nose where it doesn't belong and keep his head on his shoulders. He knew that the subject of the assailants' whereabouts would never be touched again. This hadn't been the first time something like attempted assault on the prince had happened, after all.

While Julius was heading back to his residence, the second princess of Britannia, Cornelia, was standing in the garden of her own estate, spending some sibling bonding time with her younger sister, Euphemia. Both of them were having a relaxing talk while sitting on the grass.

"Euphie, where were you today?" Cornelia asked her sister, referring to her absence in the morning, since none of the servants at their residence knew of where she was headed. "You were absent all morning."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you!" Euphemia exclaimed, as if failing to tell her older sister where she was going and sneaking out of the house early in the morning was completely natural. "I visited Julius." She said. "I wanted to say goodbye before he left." Euphemia said with a saddened stare at the fields of flowers.

Upon the mentioning of the twelfth prince, Cornelia let out a heavy sigh and laid down on the ground. "That kid." Cornelia muttered. "I swear, I don't even know what he is thinking most of the time." She grumbled, looking cross. "To think he used to be so happy and innocent."

"It's sad." Euphemia said, lowering her gaze. "When I think of just how much he had to endure to get his feet back on the ground, I just can't help but feel awful that I wasn't able to help at all." She spoke solemnly.

"Yeah, Lelouch and Nunnally's passing away really took its toll on this whole family." Cornelia said, looking at the sky with a sad expression.

"It would be so nice if things could go back the way they were eight years ago." Euphemia said, reminiscing of the happy times she had spent with all of her half-siblings. "We were so happy back then, Julius, Lelouch, Marry, Julia, Nunnally. We were just family, happily living together. Why did all those bad things had to happen to everybody?" Euphemia asked, almost on the verge of tears.

Cornelia stood up and embraced her sister, as she spoke to her with a soothing voice. "Sometimes the people who we love are taken away from us." She said, stroking her sister's hair. "Both Julius and Marrybell had to suffer the deaths of their families and, as much as I loathe to admit it, it is natural for such an experience to change a person." Cornelia sighed, as she held onto her sister.

"It just isn't fair. We did nothing wrong to deserve something like this." Euphemia said, clinging to her sister's gentle embrace. "No one has heard from Marry in years and Julius just isn't the same." The pink haired princess said, starting to cry. "I don't like this, sister." She said, as she sobbed. "Seeing my siblings suffer while I can't do anything about it." The third princess cried in her sister's chest.

"Euphie, you are such a gentle soul." Cornelia smiled, pulling Euphemia closer to her, tightening her embrace. She knew that her sister was the only shining ray of light that had survived the world's twisted nature and she would do anything in her power to keep Euphemia away from harm.

The older, magenta haired, princess loathed the terrorists that had brought upon the falling apart of the royal family. That was why she became a soldier, to make sure that no one would ever be able to lay their hands upon her family, but sometimes her reach just wasn't far enough.

The two li Britannia siblings stayed in each other's embrace for a while with Euphemia eventually calming down. Cornelia let go and smiled at her sister. "Come on, I will treat you to whatever you want, so cheer up, okay?"

"You say that like I'm still a little girl." Euphemia pouted at her sister's comment, folding her arms across her chest.

Cornelia laughed at her sister. "So, does that mean that you don't want to?" She asked with a smirk on her face.

"Of course I do!" Euphemia declared and stood up with a beaming smile. "Let's go." She said to Cornelia cheerfully.

The older princess couldn't help but sigh at how childish her sister acted at times. Still, that was part of the Euphie she loved and she would never want anything other than her sister's happiness and safety. Cornelia stood up and together with Euphemia, the two were on their way.

 **Pendragon, Knights of the Round's lounge**

Everything was normal in Britannia's capital. That, of course, also applied to the Knights of the Round. In the lounge of said group were currently residing only a small portion of the cast. Gino and Nonette were playing poker on the lounge table, with Gino losing terribly to the older woman. Anya was sitting off to the side, her attention focused entirely on her phone. The last member was Monica, who was enjoying a romantic book she had recently bought.

Monica Krushevsky was the Knight of Twelve. She had straight blond hair that was tied into two pigtails at the front and wore the typical white uniform of the Knights of the Round, though hers ended in a skirt below her waist, along with a cloak, which was light green with gold accents. She was a gentle-looking young woman whose appearance masked just how dangerous she could be.

"Ah, I lost again!" Gino exclaimed in irritation, laying his cards on the table, while Nonette had the most cheerful of smiles placed on her face, as she took all the money both of them had bet, again.

"Heheh, you are a hundred years too early to be able to beat me at poker!" Nonette declared with a proud smirk, as she then walked over to Gino and placed him in a headlock, rubbing her knuckles on top of his head.

"Ugh, you two are so noisy." Monica said, rolling her eyes, to which Anya gave a slight nod of agreement.

Nonette, being the upbeat and cheerful person that she was, ignored Monica's statement and let go of Gino, who rubbed his head with a nervous smile. Then, to no one's surprise, a crazy idea befell the Knight of Nine, as a crafty smile placed itself onto her lips.

"Don't you guys think that it's a little boring here?" She asked with the same smile, which indicated to the rest that her brain was up to no good again and she had most likely thought of something.

"Well, isn't that how it's supposed to be when a country's safe?" Gino replied, confused.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Nonette clicked her tongue, waving her index finger around, as the beaming smile returned to her face. "Of course and that's why I was thinking all of us could…" She was cut off by the loud shutting of a book.

"I don't know what it is that that head of yours has schemed up this time, but I want no part of it." Monica said with a crossed expression, as she put her book away. She didn't really like the easygoing attitude that Nonette had and often wondered why was someone like her even allowed to be a part of the Knights of the Round.

"Oh come on, Monie!" Nonette exclaimed waving her arms frantically. "You haven't even heard what I was about to say." She said with a goofy smile, to which Anya nodded in agreement. "See? Even Anya agrees with me."

Monica sighed, knowing that she would most likely regret this, as she decided to let Nonette speak her mind. "Fine, what is it?"

Nonette's crafty smile returned, as she raised her arm in the air, index finger extended, pointing upwards. "We go to Euro-Britannia to knock some European heads in!" She declared proudly with a cheerful laugh.

The other three knights were stunned by their colleague's idea, as even Anya was staring at Nonette with a surprised expression. The pale green haired woman continued to explain her plot to the others. "Since all of us are cooped up in here and Jule's gonna be traveling for Euro Britannia tomorrow, I thought that we could use this opportunity to go and have some fun!" She declared with a beaming expression, while the others shuddered at her idea of fun.

Everybody blinked a few times, not sure if they heard her right, before Gino and Monica exclaimed in synch. "WHAT?!" they yelled, surprised that Nonette had thought of something like that.

"Huh? I was hoping that you guys might be hyped, but I didn't think you'd be so rearing to go." Nonette said in confusion at the other's reactions, scratching the back of her head.

"Did you even hear what you just said?" Monica asked the older woman, wide eyed at the prospect she gave. "For a Knight of the Round to participate in any conflict, he or she has to be authorized by the emperor." The blond girl explained and then shot Nonette a scolding glare. "How do _you_ expect to get authorization?"

Nonette giggled playfully, as she answered. "I have my ways." She sharply locked her hands to her waist and laughed cheerfully, making her voluptuous chest bounce from the motion, which made Monica to eye her resentfully.

"I feel sorry for the prince." Anya said, referring to Julius, as she stood off to the side.

"Yeah, he probably won't be very pleased by this." Gino added with a nervous smile.

"Jule can complain all he wants." Nonette laughed again. "But it'll take a lot more than that to get me away from action!" The knight of nine declared proudly.

Monica rolled her eyes and sighed. _This won't end well._ She thought, as she looked at Nonette.

And true enough, things did turn out for the worst. The next day, everyone who was going to be accompanying Julius on his flight to Euro Britannia was present at the docks of the Britannian airship, the Leviathan. It was a sister model to Schneizel's personal airship, the Avalon. The Leviathan was a large ship of style, with its sea blue and black color scheme, and had many quarters, conference rooms and recreational rooms on board.

Everything was going perfectly fine, until the twelfth prince arrived and bore witness to the last person he wanted to see near _his_ ship.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" Julius vi Britannia exclaimed, gazing in utter disbelief at one Nonette Enneagram, who was waving happily at him.

The Knight of Nine was standing before the entrance of the ship, holding a briefcase and smiling cheerfully at the prince, whose arrival she had awaited.

"Yo, it's been a while since we last saw each other, Jule." Nonette greeted the prince with a smile. "I believe the last time we did was when you challenged me to a duel at the military academy and lost, terribly might I add." The woman said, ending her sentence with a playful wink.

Julius could feel fate's cruel hand at play. The last woman he ever wanted to see in the world was accompanying him to what was supposed to be a grand starting point to his plan. He could feel his blood boiling at the sight of the woman before him, as he remembered the first interaction he had had with her.

 **Military academy, Knightmare field training grounds, 2013 atb**

Julius had been called to field training by himself, which was strange, considering the rest of his squadron that he was usually training with were on a break.

He was fourteen-years-old at the time and was dressed in a black and grey military uniform, signifying his status as a cadet in training. Over his left eye, the young prince had a standard issue black eye-patch.

When he arrived to the field he saw the drill sergeant and next to him a woman, who the fourteen-year-old prince did not recognize.

"Ah, your highness, you're just on time." The drill sergeant responded to seeing the prince approach them.

"Julius vi Britannia, reporting for duty, sir!" The young prince saluted, despite the fact that he hated showing respect to others. Still, he wasn't about to let something as insignificant as that stop him.

The woman next to the drill sergeant giggled after hearing the prince speak, which made Julius glare at her with his only seeing eye, while the drill sergeant looked confused. "You're just like Nellie, when she was your age." The woman said, looking cheerfully at the prince. "Though you have a different look in your eye from her." She said, as her smile then disappeared for a split second. "She had ambition in her eyes, while you seem to have only anger…" the woman mumbled, but then her smile returned almost instantaneously, making Julius feel that he almost saw her not smiling. "though I'm sure you are a stubborn kid, just like her."

The young Julius vi Britannia immediately felt that there was something off with the woman standing before him. The prince could tell by her uniform that she was most likely a Knight of the Round, which made him keep whatever snappy remark he had to make behind his teeth.

"Er, right." The sergeant cleared his throat. "This is Lady Nonette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine." The man introduced the woman to the prince, as she waved enthusiastically at the young boy, who was less than pleased to meet her. "From today on, she has been assigned to be your personal instructor, your highness."

Julius stared blankly for a few seconds, as he was hoping the sergeant didn't mean that. "With all due respect, sir, you have to be joking." The prince said.

"There's no joke here, little Jule." Smiled Nonette, making a cute nickname for her new student, who was barely holding back on the verbal lashing out after hearing the nickname.

"Right." The sergeant said with a nervous look on his face, as he watched the ever cheerful Nonette continue to smile at the now scowling young prince. "I bid you farewell, your highness, Lady Enneagram." The man said, as he made himself scarce.

Julius was left alone with the strange woman, who was going to be his instructor for the next two years. He couldn't help but get irritated from her attitude. Still, if she was really going to be teaching him, as a Knight of the Round she surely had to have some skills and knowledge of the battlefield to share.

"So… Miss Enneagram." Julius said, grabbing Nonette's attention. "With what do we start our lessons?" The prince asked, hoping to get a worthwhile answer.

Nonette simply laughed at his addressing of her and waved her arm from side to side across her face. "We start by dropping the honorific, Jule. You can just call me Nonette or you can make up a nickname for me if you'd like." The Knight of Nine said with a playful wink at the end, though she noticed the prince's irritated expression, but carried on like nothing was wrong. "For now, let's start with the basics." She said by hurling her cloak to the side and beginning to stretch, which made Julius raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Could you… elaborate, perhaps?" He asked, not seeing what purpose throwing away her cloak had served.

"Oh, we're going to be making five laps covering the whole premise of the academy grounds." She said casually, as she continued to stretch. "You and I'll have so much fun spending time together, I'm sure of it." Nonette declared with a beaming smile, as she finished stretching.

Julius could swear he just heard her say 'fun'. _What part of military training is supposed to be fun?_ The prince thought, as he stared confused at Nonette.

For the past couple of months that he had enrolled into the academy, everything had been grueling training day in and day out and the knight before him seemed to see it as a leisurely activity. Still, if that was how the strange woman before him was going to play things out, he would have to play by her rules, but nowhere was it said that he couldn't beat her at her own game. The young prince was determined to show up the so called knight before him.

"Hmph, fine then." Julius shrugged and shot Nonette a challenging glare, as he made a few stretches of his own.

"This is the beginning of a wonderful student-teacher relationship, I'm just sure of it!" Nonette declared cheerfully, as she got into position to start running. "Try to keep up, eh, Jule?" She teased the young prince and took off running.

"Stop calling me that!" Julius yelled out from behind her, as he ran after her, to which Nonette laughed, much to the prince's irritation, as some of the veins on his forehead started to show from having to deal with the troublesome woman.

"Sure, maybe I'll consider it if you can catch up to me." Nonette said, as she, surprisingly, sped up her pace, which made Julius realize that the task of putting the woman in her place might just be a lot harder than he had originally planned.

After almost two hours of running around academy grounds, Nonette and Julius came to a stop, with the prince falling to the ground, the last drop of energy leaving his body. He couldn't believe that it was possible to be able to feel as much fatigue as he currently did. He was laying on the ground panting, his body trying to catch up on some much needed oxygen.

"Whew, that was a nice warm up, wouldn't you say, Jule?" Nonette said with her perky attitude, turning to face the prince who was lying on the ground. She couldn't help but laugh at him. "Hey now, we haven't even started the real deal yet."

Julius was so tired he didn't even have it in him to get angry at the pale green haired woman. He just continued to lay on the ground, trying to calm down his breathing.

"Still, for a kid your age and being a prince and what not, I can't say that I'm not impressed." Nonette said scratching the back of her head with a goofy smile. "I honestly thought that you wouldn't be able to last through the whole run, but you actually did. I'll surely make a one of a kind soldier out of someone with such potential." She said with a smile and then to her surprise, watched Julius stand up.

"I don't need your praises or kindness." Julius said with a serious tone, staring at the woman before him. "I just want the strength and skills that you have to offer." He said, thinking that if he was blunt with her he would get her to act more serious.

"Ooh, how scary." Nonette continued to goof around, patting the prince on the head, who swatted her hand away. "You know, you gotta work on that bad attitude." The knight said, as she looked oddly at the prince. "I know that you've been through a lot and I kind of get why you are acting like this, but no one's gonna want to serve a prince as arrogant as you." She said, dropping the smile and sounding serious, which for Julius was a first seeing the woman looking serious.

The prince shrugged and stared challengingly at the older woman. "People are just pawns and pawns obey their king, one way or another. That's the painfully obvious truth of the world, don't you think?" The prince said, a smirk forming on his face. "You yourself are an example of my theory. No matter how strong you may be, there will always be someone above you, who you'll have to take orders from."

"Oh?" Nonette raised her eyebrows, surprised. "But, doesn't this belief of yours put you in the same position as me?" She asked, intrigued to hear the answer to her question.

"Heh." Julius grinned. "I will become the strongest. I will be the one to make the rules of the game called life and it is I who will manipulate the board and its pieces." The dark haired prince said with a confident smirk.

After hearing him, Nonette burst out laughing, not being able to take the prince's declaration seriously. "That's quite the ambition you've got there." She said, as she calmed down her laughter. "I wonder where it will take you." The knight said with her usual smile. "Now then, back to training we go!" Nonette declared pointing to nowhere in particular.

"Alright then, bring it on." Julius said with a challenging gaze and smirk on his face. _In time, you too will be nothing more than a piece in my game._ He thought to himself, as he ran after the woman, who had gone ahead of him.

 **Present**

Julius was quite displeased to see the Knight of Nine before him. From all the time he had spent with her back at the academy he learned that she was an insufferable perky airhead, but when she was serious, the matter making her drop the cheerful smile was usually of grave importance. He had also gotten to experience the monster of a woman that was Nonette Enneagram first hand. Her hand to hand combat and Knightmare piloting skills were one of a kind. The most unnerving part was that she always fought with the same cheerful smile placed on her face. The twelfth prince could feel his body remembering the sensation of her beating him senseless from back when they had sparring sessions.

That said, Julius' spent time with the knight wasn't called training for nothing. In the two years Nonette had been teaching him, Julius had become almost as good as her. In a contest of hand to hand or armed combat the prince was confident that he could defeat the Knight of Nine, though there was still one area of expertise he couldn't surpass her in. The woman was an absolute beast at piloting a Knightmare Frame. The closest Julius had come to beating her was when one time he actually managed to sever one of the arms of the Glasgow that she was using for the practice session, after which his own Glasgow was promptly stomped into the ground, forcing him to eject in defeat.

"That was years ago, though I doubt I could match you with a Knightmare, considering that I haven't piloted one for a year now." Julius said to Nonette, as he folded his arms and glared at the woman knight.

"Hey, maybe we'll get to have some fun later and get you back into shape." Nonette said happily.

"You didn't answer my question as to why you are here, also, what's in that briefcase?" Julius said, continuing to glare at the woman.

"Oh, you know, I was bored to death at the office, so I decided to come and give you a helping hand." Nonette said casually, flexing her free arm. "A Knight of the Round is a good asset to have, no?" She said with a smile. "The emperor gave me permission to go and everything."

Julius stopped glaring at the woman and actually considered the situation. _Yes, having a Knight of the Round will actually be quite beneficial to me and it's the monster Nonette nonetheless._ Julius thought, as a smile crept up on his face. _I'm glad, Nonette, that it was you and not one of the others, because I know for a fact that you won't care what it is I do as long as it is in favor of Britannia, and that gives me all the freedom I need._ The prince thought, as he returned his expression to normal and pointed to the briefcase. "And? What is in the briefcase?"

"Oh, just a little present for you from the emperor." Nonette said cheerfully.

Julius frowned. _From father? This is highly suspicious._ The prince thought as he gazed at the briefcase. _Is it a bomb?_ His gaze then rose up to Nonette. _Did he send her to assassinate me? No, that's unlikely. So, what am I dealing with here?_ Julius looked back at the briefcase and then spoke. "You wouldn't mind to show me what's inside, would you?" He said in a demanding tone.

"I wanted to make it a surprise for when we arrived at Euro Britannia, but since you asked so nicely, I guess I'll show you." Nonette said, as she opened up the briefcase and held it in front of herself to display its contents.

Julius went wide eyed for a brief second and then a satisfied grin settled on his face. "Well now, this really is quite the present." He said, as Nonette closed up the briefcase.

"Right?" The female knight responded enthusiastically with a cheerful smile on her face. "I was told that there was also another surprise on-board the ship, too." She said, which made Julius even more interested.

An announcement came on the speakers in the dock to inform everybody who was to board the Leviathan that the ship was ready to takeoff for Euro Britannia.

"Well then, let us not waste any more time, shall we?" Julius said with a crafty smirk, as he gazed at the airship.

"After you, your highness." Nonette said cheerfully, as she bowed to the prince, who entered the ship, following suite afterwards.

Other personnel like mechanics and crew also boarded the ship and after everyone was accounted for the Leviathan prepared for takeoff. Charging its engines, the huge machine slowly rose up in the air and took off. It's course, Euro Britannia.

 **Narva battlefield.**

Night had fallen on the ongoing battle between the E.U. Army's 132nd Regiment and the Euro Britannian forces. The division had set off on a rescue mission for St. Petersburg, but the Britannian military had gotten hold of their plans and was progressively hindering their enemies' operation. They had surrounded the unit in a small city near St. Petersburg, Narva.

The E.U. had sent their W-0 Special Attack Force to rescue the isolated unit, with no regard for the enemy's numbers. All of the soldiers of the rescue unit were young Japanese men. The success rate of the operation was almost zero. The government was using the Japanese soldiers, who were not even considered citizens of said government, as expendable losses to avoid public backlash on the death of European soldiers.

The battle was taking place in the forests near Narva, as gunfire could be heard from everywhere. The Knightmares of both sides were locked in lethal combat, as more and more units fell. The Britannian forces were armed with Sutherlands, a fifth generation Knightmare Frame that had become standard issue equipment for pilots in the Britannian military, while the E.U.'s forces featured an unseen before series of Knightmare units, the Alexander. It was a white, small, and humanoid in appearance sixth generation Knightmare, as it also featured the highly agile Insect mode. Still, these unorthodox units were highly outnumbered by the enemy forces and were sent on a suicide run.

From above in the skies, the Britannians had an airship that gave detailed information of the landscape of the conflict below to its control center and the ground level pilots, who used said information to crush their foes more efficiently.

The forest had been set ablaze, as Knightmares charged through it. The Alexanders, piloted by the Japanese soldiers, were moving in their insect mode, as they were intercepted by a Sutherland, which opened fire. Its bullets bounced off the Alexander's hull, as the insectoid manned machine jumped on top of the Sutherland and detonated, taking both Knightmares and pilots to the afterlife.

Inside the W-0 base, the control center and its officers were busy keeping up with the flow of information from the battle.

"Unit 4, signal lost." Said one of the women, working along with her colleagues on briefing the others with accurate information from their status screens. "Remaining Alexanders: Eleven! Enemy reinforcements incoming!" Reported another, as they scrambled on their keyboards.

Staring at the large screen, which showed the map and positioning of units, was a light blond haired girl, whose hair was very long, as her bangs reached her eyes with two locks framing her face and from behind, her hair reached to her waist and she also had two egg shaped buns that were held up with gold colored braces. She had light purple eyes, dressed in the blue and red military uniform of the E.U. forces, beneath which she had a white shirt with a black tie. She also wore a black skirt and long high heeled boots.

"Don't panic girls." Said a middle aged red haired woman, dressed in a lab coat, as she calibrated the settings of the Alexanders' systems on her screen. "Joe Wise, try using the steroid." She said, turning to one of her colleagues.

"I am… but it's not working very well." Said a chubby man with glasses, as he worked away at his station.

"The pilots are wearing down." Said another woman, monitoring the soldiers' vital signs.

"But look." Her colleague called out, pointing at a single soldier's statistics, which were different from the rest. "This one still looks… alright." She said as the two gazed at the neural wavelengths of said soldier.

"It's Akito." Said the woman sitting next to her, making the girl standing before the large screen narrow her gaze.

In the forest, one of the Sutherlands was charging through, when it was suddenly shot down from out of nowhere, exploding in the process. The culprit was an Alexander, which had hidden itself out of sight.

Inside it, it's pilot, a blue haired young man with blue eyes, dressed in the red and blue pilot uniform, was chuckling maniacally, as glowing red circles surrounded his eyes.

Meanwhile, another one of the Alexanders had jumped in on a squadron of Sutherlands, self-destructing, effectively taking down all of the Knightmares in the vicinity.

Aboard the Britannian ship, the tactical advisors were reporting the situation to the commander of the ship. "Enemies breaching the F-line!" Reported the soldiers, as the map screen displayed the self-destruct of the enemy unit. "Enemy destroyed!"

"Three allied units also simultaneously destroyed!" Reported another.

The commander of the ship was a man with long wavy blond hair and light blue eyes, dressed in a white and blue uniform with golden accents and the crest of Britannia on it. This man was Andrea Farnese, the grand master of the Knights of St. Raphael, which was one of the four chivalric orders of the Euro Britannian Empire. He was currently thinking through the information he was receiving and was devising the best possible course of action.

"There's no doubt about it! The enemy is self-destructing!" Reported one of the intel officers.

"Stay away from the enemy! Destroy them before they get close!" Another member of the control room issued orders to be sent to the pilots.

The man who had spoken previously looked closer at his screen and reported to the rest. "Another self-destruct! Four allied units lost!"

"More on the way!" Reported another, as the map screen showed how a couple of the Britannian units were taken out by another self-destructing Alexander. This pattern continued, as the screen showed the effects of another self-destruction.

Andrea Farnese was greatly displeased with his enemy's choice of tactics. He was a man of honor and respect. To him suicide tactics were an insult to the soldiers who were fighting on the front lines and other strategical commanders.

Back at the W-0 base, status updates continued to flow in at a rapid pace.

"Unit 8, self-destruct confirmed! Two enemy units destroyed!" Reported a member of the personnel.

"Only two?!" The man in charge of the operation, commander Anou, hit his control station with his fist, irritated at the elevens' lack of producing worthwhile results. "Make them focus! Hurry up and finish the job!" He yelled out his orders.

"Commander Anou." Spoke the light blonde haired female officer, making the commander turn to face her, all flustered from the critical situation the battle was in. "Forty minutes until the evacuation of the 132nd Regime can begin." She reported.

"I know that already, Malcal!" Yelled out the commander at the woman. "What's the meaning of this?" Asked the commander, infuriated. "Why are the enemy's numbers greater than what you predicted?!"

Leila Malcal, was a major in the E.U army and was an adjutant to commander Anou. It was her who had planned this whole operation and it ground her gears to see her superior waste his soldiers in such a manner.

Standing to the side was Leila's aide-de-camp, Claus Warwick. He was a middle-aged man with light brown hair and light blue eyes, dressed in the same red and blue military uniform of the E.U. military. He was giving the commander a lazy look behind his back.

"The ambush notwithstanding, I believe it is inevitable that the enemy will gain the upper hand within the hour." Leila gave her assessment with a stern expression.

"Enough with the excuses!" Yelled out commander Anou. "Seems to me like the operation has some deficiencies in the first place!" The commander accused Leila, pointing at her.

"You are the one who changed the operation right before we started." Leila noted, narrowing her gaze at the man, who became flustered from her comeback.

"You don't like that I added a self-destruct system to the Alexanders?" Said the man.

"Recklessly wasting military resources is bad tactics." Leila responded, staring down the man.

"The elevens are doing the dying, anyway." Commander Anou said with a sneer. "Elevens don't need your green humanism!" Declared the commander, as he pointed at his adjutant, which made Leila frown. "You know it, too. Elevens have always spewed things like 'seppuku' and 'kamikaze'." The commander began to rant his case, as the whole control room stared at him, worried and disappointed from the inhumanity with which he regarded the Japanese soldiers. "They're descendants of a race that loves to die! What's so wrong with making Elevens like that self-destruct?!" The commander yelled at Leila.

"Is this really alright?" Leila asked, her gaze locked on the commander, who was once again taken aback by her comeback.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He spewed the words at her.

"If they're wiped out like this, and the Britannian counterattack becomes spirited for it, what will happen to the 132nd unit that is supposed to escape from Narva?" Leila stated her question to the commander, who was off-put by the calm manner in which the young major spoke.

In the battlefield, another explosion from a self-destructed Alexander resounded, as additional Britannian forces continued to enter the fray. The Alexanders continued to charge at the Britannian Sutherlands.

"The W-0 unit was supposed to cover the 132nd Unit's retreat, but if Operation Alpha fails, we will be failing our responsibilities." Said Leila Malcal, as she continued to stare down her commander, while the other members of the control room were continuing on with their jobs. "Not only will we taste the anger, but also the blame of the people, Central HQ, and the government. Are you ready to accept that?" Leila asked, as the commander was getting angry from being pushed into a corner. "Politicians will never hurt themselves." Leila finished, forcing the commander to make a rash decision from his inability to cope with pressure.

"N-No way I'm going to let it end like this." Commander Anou stammered. "I still have… I…" He couldn't form his sentences from the nervous wreck that he was becoming, looking at Leila who was staring sternly into his eyes.

"This is your fault!" He yelled out, pulling out a pistol and pointing it at Leila, who didn't flinch at the gun being pointed to her forehead, while the other members of the room turned around sharply, shocked by the commander's actions. "Why should I… Why should I take responsibility for your operation?!" He nervously yelled out, shaking profusely.

"Leila!" Anna Clement rose from her seat, concerned for her friend, while the others lowered their heads.

"You…" Commander Anou stammered, as Leila continued to stare unflinching into his eyes, making him even more nervous.

Leila smirked at the shaking commander, the gun pointed at her face shaking along with him. "You can't do it." She pointed out, which made the commander scowl, surprised, as she then grabbed his arm and twisted it outwards, making the pistol point away from her. A shot fired from it, after which she grabbed his arm with her other hand and hurled the older man to the ground, a resounding thud coming from him hitting the floor on his back, dropping the gun in the process.

"L-Let me go!" Anou yelled out. "L-Let go of me!"

In the next instant, armed soldiers swarmed the control room.

"What 's going on?" Came the strict voice of the commander of the soldiers. "Who fired the gun?"

"Well, well, Major Hamel of the Special Bureau, right on time." Said Claus Warwick, shrugging casually.

Oscar Hamel was a tall grey haired bespectacled man, dressed in the E.U. military uniform, wearing a cap along with it. He was the vice-captain of the Guard Troops in Castle Weisswolf, which was the W-0 base.

He walked over to where Leila had pinned Anou on the ground and looked at the ongoing scene before him.

"Allow me to correct you on one thing." Leila said to her downed commander, who struggled to free himself from her grip. "They are not Elevens. They are Japanese." She said, disgust showing on her face, directed towards her commander, as she referred to the Alexander pilots.

"Major Malcal." Major Hamel spoke. "Is that Jujitsu? Well done." He commented on his colleague officer's work, as he went over to the struggling Anou and injected him with a tranquilizer, making the man pass out, after which Leila ran to the control panel to take control on the operation. "An explanation if you please, Major Malcal." Hamel spoke, looking at the blond girl issue orders to the Knightmare pilots.

"Unit 305, emergency orders!" She said, as she then turned to Claus Warwick. "Lt. Colonel Claus!" She issued him to proceed with giving the pilots the change of info.

"Yes, yes." Replied casually Claus. "Deputy commander Claus, and newly appointed commanding officer…" He said, as he then turned to Leila. "Go ahead, Commander Malcal!" He said with a smile.

Leila began to issue out and transmit her orders to the Japanese soldiers. "Operation change. Deactivating the Alexanders' self-destruct systems." She said, as she looked at her screen, which flashed to indicate that the systems were deactivated and then turned to Anna Clement. "Captain Clement!"

"R-Right!" Anna returned to her post and sent a message to her subordinates. "Cloe, Hilda! Emergency mail!" She said.

"Looks like our boss is back in action." Cloe noted.

"This is great!" Added Hilda, as she and Cloe worked away at their stations.

Gunfire resounded everywhere, as a Sutherland engaged one of the Alexanders in combat, but it jumped in the air, making a backflip and returned fire. The Sutherland continued to fire, as the Alexander didn't let out on its assault, but it soon ran out of ammunition for its machine gun and discarded the weapon.

Inside the white insectoid Knightmare, it's pilot, the blue haired young man was currently assessing the situation, as he had pulled over and hidden out of sight. _Am I surrounded?_ He thought, as then his screen beeped, indicating that he was receiving new information. "No self-destructs?" He wondered out loud, as he read through the message. His gaze narrowed, as the red circles returned around his eyes, as his Alexander discarded the bomb it was carrying.

Meanwhile, the Britannian reinforcements were closing in on the battlefield.

"Sir Wilhelm! The platoon's been wiped out!" Reported one of the Knightmare pilots.

"Is this Hannibal's Ghost?" Asked Sir Wilhelm in his customized Sutherland, using the codename with which they referred to a particular Alexander unit, as he then saw an Alexander advancing rapidly toward him from the side. "Is that it?" He asked, as he and his squadron turned around to face the incoming enemy and opened fire.

The Alexander dodged the bullets effortlessly with its extremely agile insect mode, as it jumped high into the air and transformed into normal mode. It then took out a stake shaped Tonfa and rushed towards the Sutherlands. It switched between insect and normal mode, as it effortlessly slaughtered the Britannian Knightmares.

As the Alexander took out a second tonfa and severed through one of the Sutherlands and engaged into combat with another, its pilot grinning. "Die!" The blue haired young man yelled, as he crushed yet another Knightmare. He then dodged out of the way of a spear that was being hurled at him, and his Alexander entered one on one combat with the customized Sutherland, their weapons clashing.

The two Knightmares parried blows, as the larger Sutherland pushed back the smaller, but limber Alexander, as it jumped away and recoiled from each strike.

"You monster!" Yelled out Sir Wilhelm, as he charged the Alexander, the weapons of both Knightmares clashing again and again.

Inside the Alexander, its pilot was getting fired up, as he let out a battle cry and pushed forward. The Alexander jumped towards the Sutherland, getting close to it, surprising the enemy pilot, as the smaller Knightmare destroyed the Sutherland, killing its pilot.

At the Britannian airship, reports continued to come in.

"Wilhelm squad, eliminated! Signal lost!" Reported one of the officers.

"Lord Farnese, please send out the 'M' troops. It seems like our army is no longer enough." Recommended the tactical advisor to the grand master of the Knights of St. Raphael, who was sitting in his seat.

"If we are uncertain of our enemies' abilities, I cannot drag our allies into this area." Said Andrea Farnese, deep in thought.

On the battlefield, the Britannian forces were slowly being pushed back, as a squad of Sutherlands was firing at the fast approaching Alexander. It dodged out of their line of fire and jumped towards them, transforming into normal mode and using it's tonfas to crush the Sutherlands.

As it skewered one of the enemy units, the pilot was grinning widely. "Die!" He yelled out with a maniacal grin, as his Knightmare charged another enemy. The Alexander quickly crushed the enemy unit and proceeded to the next, which was taken out with the same ease. "Die!" Yelled out the pilot, as he charged at the last Sutherland within the vicinity.

"What?!" The pilot of the customized Sutherland was shocked, as he threw a spear at the Alexander and missed, with the enemy Knightmare jumping in the air.

"Die!" Yelled out the blue haired pilot of the Alexander, as he came diving down blade first into his enemy, knocking it off balance.

"You little…!" The pilot of the Sutherland steadied his Knightmare and readied a sword. "I don't believe in Ghosts!" He declared as he charged the Alexander.

The two Knightmares' weapons collided, but the Alexander ducked under and was about to deliver a punch to the chest area of the Sutherland, when it's hand retracted and a blade emerged from the slot, stabbing through the hull of the Sutherland, killing its pilot. The Alexander pushed the blade in until it was all the way inside before it pulled it out, its enemy falling before it.

Inside, the blue haired pilot smirked maniacally at his handiwork, as the Alexander then leaned back and let out a mechanical roar, signaling its triumph.

This pilot that slaughtered the Britannian forces was Akito Hyuga, the Ghost of Hannibal.

Inside the W-0 base, the status quo was beginning to change for the better, as some good news arrived.

"132nd unit has begun evacuation!" Reported one of the female officers.

"Remaining combat strength?" Leila asked, wanting to hear what was the status of the soldiers.

"Confirming now." Said another officer, as she worked at her station. "Oh! One!" She declared, the map showing the signal. "Pilot's life signals confirmed!"

Leila was surprised and saddened to hear that only one had survived the battle. She was even more surprised when she heard the name of the survivor.

"It's Ensign Akito Hyuga!" Reported the female officer.

At the Britannian airship, the command center was giving out orders on how to proceed.

"Remaining forces are to rendezvous at the Area 13 base!" Said one of the officers, issuing out the retreat orders. "Withdrawing from combat zone!"

"We, the Knights of St. Raphael, were unable to answer the E.U. army…" Andrea Farnese said, as he rose from his seat. "We must give the fallen an honorable burial."

With that, the battle between the factions ended in victory for the E.U. The 132nd Regime were currently evacuating, as rows of trucks and other vehicles rolled in a convoy, guarded by Panzer-Hummels. Relived cheers resounded from the soldiers, as they were all happy to go back home.

To the side of the road that was being used for evacuation, stood the only remaining Alexander, thoroughly damaged from the hard battle. Next to it stood its pilot, Akito Hyuga. His long blue hair was tied in a single braid, as it draped down his back. He was looking at the convoy passing him by, as one of the trucks pulled over and he went over to talk with the driver.

"Whatcha doin'?" Asked the driver. "You alone?"

"Yeah. Can you spare some room?" Akito asked, as he pointed to his Alexander.

The man looked at it and saw how damaged it was. "A Knightmare? I can't say that I've seen this model before." Said the driver surprised. "Just in case… You got your ID?" He asked the young man before him.

Akito took out his ID tag and handed it to the man. "Must've been hard out there." Said the driver, as he then got a look at the ID of the teen before him and frowned. "Oh, an Eleven?" He clicked his tongue in irritation, returning Akito's ID tag. "Yeah, sure. You and that Knightmare can get on the cargo tray in the back." He said.

The Alexander was loaded on the back of the truck and Akito along with it. It was covered by a huge ragged piece of cloth, as Akito slept at his Knightmare's feet, also covered in a rugged cloth.

There was only one survivor of the whole operation. It succeeded in exchange for the lives of countless Japanese young men. In return they were treated with racism, despite the fact that they fought for the E.U. government. Such was the world that they lived in. Such was the cruel world that Akito Hyuga knew.

* * *

 **I have one thing to clear up before we continue any further, I've completely ruined the cannon timeline, since Julius was a brainwashed Lelouch, but now is a character of his own, so the events we'll be seeing are before the beginning of R1, as it was stated in the previous chapter when Lloyd and his team were going to be traveling to Area 11. C.C was the one who gave Julius' Geass, though there are a lot of things about the character's past that I'm going to introduce later on. Also, yay for Akito Hyuga. I was one of the people that actually enjoyed Akito the Exiled, though only after I watched it for the 3rd time XD. I also plan to use the characters of OZ the Reflection but that's for later in the series. Anyway, the next couple of chapters will be an introduction to Akito and the other 'important' characters, since it will take some time for Julius to arrive. Thank you for reading , hope you enjoyed and if you have some questions, I'll gladly answer them.**

 **Ok, so I did a slight overhaul of Julius' Geass. I changed the last scene in the first chapter and a piece of info at the beginning of this one, so you can have a better understanding of his Geass. Why did I change his Geass, you ask? Well, as I am sure that those of you who read the chapters before I reworked them, found his Geass a bit too OP and frankly out of place. Do not worry this Geass will give the same results I had in mind for the story and it also accents the character more, so win-win. Also, thanks to ChunkyFunkyMunky for the idea of his Geass.** **  
**


	3. The Wyvern arrives

Stage 3: The Wyvern arrives

Europia United. A democratic region laden with decadence and bureaucracy, with enough territories to rival the Holy Britannian Empire. The city of Paris served as the capital of the Europia United. It was the seat of the European Army General HQ and the Council of Forty. Many Japanese refugees who fled Britannian persecution were detained in ghettos on the Île de la Cité. The E.U. was probably the most democratic of the three superpowers, but was also very divided.

It was at war with the Holy Britannian Empire. A war, which it was doomed to fail, thanks to the empire's superior capital and armament. The E.U. had started to employ a tactic, in which they used the Japanese as soldiers, much akin to Area Eleven's honorary Britannian system. The Elevens were shown great disdain from the European people, as their lives were in total disregard. Others, however, knew that these soldiers that threw away their lives to die in battle, deserved much more than that.

One such person was Leila Malcal. She hated how corrupt the country she served was and wanted to change it for the better, but the war with Britannia was putting her goals as a secondary objective. She had a duty to serve as a member of the military. Still, it was always disgusting to her how those with money and wealth spent their time living cheerfully, not having a single care about the soldiers who die to keep them safe.

Currently, Leila was standing in the office of general Gene Smilas. He was a tall middle-aged man with greyish-green hair and beard, wearing the same red and blue military uniform as any other member of the military.

"Promoting Major Malcal to Lt. Colonel." Said Smilas, as he stamped the document, while Leila stood before him with a serious expression. "You are now the official commander of the W-0 unit." Said the general, as he handed her the document. "The promotion was approved at yesterday's national defense committee meeting." Added the general, as he then smiled at the young girl before him. "The brains behind the Narva rescue mission's success, eh? Congratulations, Leila."

"I accept the appointment." Leila said with a slight nod, as she took the document.

"I have high hopes for you." Said Gene Smilas, as he walked back to his seat and lowered himself in it. "The W-0 squad is your pet project. It's appropriate that you are its commander." The general folded his arms, while Leila continued to stare with a serious expression, which the older man noticed. "What's wrong? You don't seem happy." He said, issuing Leila to speak her mind.

The blond girl hesitated for a second, but then spoke. "General Smilas, my idea for 145 attack plan is to launch a surprise attack behind the enemy base with Knightmares" Leila stated her suggestion. "Therefore, this operation requires a large amount of resources. But in this last operation, our small unit suffered too many casualties." The Lt. Colonel continued. "With soldiers from the main E.U. Army, our unit would be able to expand." Leila said.

The general leaned back in his chair, considering the girl's request. "I understand where you're coming from, but it's not so easy to integrate E.U. soldiers into your unit, Leila." Said the general. "The public doesn't care if other nations' people die in war." Continued the general, as Leila frowned at his comment. "General HQ will need to evaluate and consider the survival rate for your proposed plan."

Leila wasn't about to take this racism. "So are you saying you wouldn't care how many died if they were all Elevens?!" Leila asked, offended.

"Leila… trying to make sense of everything is an exercise of stupidity." Said the general.

"But!" Leila wanted to disagree, but was cut off by the general.

"You just can't satisfy people with logical arguments." Smilas said to the young girl, as he crossed his hands.

"At the Narva operation the other day… one Japanese soldier was able to bring peace." Leila said, lowering her gaze to the ground.

Outside the office of the General stood two soldiers, who guarded the door and opposite them was standing Akito Hyuga, awaiting his superior to complete her work. He was wearing his military uniform, which consisted of a grey shirt, blue pants and jacket with a red bandana on the left shoulder with the logo of W-0 on it, and black boots. The blue haired Japanese soldier stood, unflinching and patiently waiting, occasionally receiving disdainful or nervous glances from the soldiers guarding the general's office.

"And you've created peace for 15000 Europeans." Said Smilas, standing up from his seat.

"I-" Leila wanted to argue her case, but was cut off.

"But you should reflect on what happened with Lieutenant Colonel Anou." Said the general, crossing his arms behind his back and walking towards the windows of his office, standing with his back turned to Leila.

"I am!" Leila replied. "I should have removed him before the operation started." She said.

"Man…" The general sighed, as he walked along the windows. "L.C. Anou has been reassigned to the Warshar supply squad." He said, turning to face Leila. "Looks like command finally found something suitable for him. There's a defense meeting tomorrow."

Leila was surprised to hear this. "Tomorrow?"

"Politicians feel better by holding meetings." The general joked with a smile, as he turned around to the windows once more. "It'll be good for you to observe one."

"Okay." Leila agreed with the general.

"By the way, Leila." The general said, as he looked at her. "Do you have any plans after this?"

"I'll be attending the celebration party for the Narva operation." Replied the blond colonel, after which she saluted to the general and exited his office.

The automatic doors leading to the general's office slid open and Leila stepped through them, entering the hallway in which Akito Hyuga was waiting for her. "Sorry for the wait, Lt. Hyuga." Leila said, as the doors closed behind her and she passed by the two guards in front of them.

"Your consideration is unnecessary." Replied Akito, as he walked over to his superior. "Being your bodyguard is my current mission." He added with a serious expression, as the two started to walk down the hall.

"Yes, yes, that's right." Leila dismissed his words and then turned to look at him. "Is this your first time in Paris, Lieutenant?" She asked him.

"I've been once, long ago." Akito replied.

The two were driven to the party by a car that was awaiting their arrival outside the military headquarters. They arrived at the grand building where the celebration was held and entered. The room was lightened by the numerous chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Hired musicians were playing a slow and regal piece to add to the atmosphere. It was full of filthy rich men and women, who were discussing things among themselves. Waitresses were going around handing out drinks. One had given two glasses of orange juice to Lt. Hyuga, who after that was on his way and left the woman alone.

Comments were flying over in Leila's direction, regarding her choice of clothing, considering that she was a member of the rich Malcal family. She, like Akito, was in her military uniform, which the aristocracy in the room didn't really take kindly to. Leila was leaned on one of the walls and was currently reading a book she had brought. Her attention to her book was taken away, as Akito approached her.

"No one will approach a girl that reads Guibert's Essays on Tactics at a party." He said with a somewhat straight face, as Leila raised her head from her book to look curiously at him, after which he handed her one of the glasses of juice.

Leila shut her book and accepted the drink, frowning at the Lt.'s comment. "So even Lieutenant Hyuga has a sense of humor." She noted, a little sour, as she took a gulp from her drink, as Akito turned around to look at the rest of the populace in the room.

"It's my first time at the Tuileries Palace, but as expected, it really is an elitist party." He noted, as he observed everything around him, after which he leaned on the wall next to Leila. "Are you dressed up because of the Narva operation's success?"

Leila tilted her head to the side and looked disgusted. "For a party like this?" She spoke, after which she took another sip from her drink. "We're the only soldiers here." She said, to which Akito turned to look at her. Leila was then taken out of her train of thought by hearing a familiar voice.

"Leila!" Said the cheerful voice.

Akito and Leila both turned in the direction of the voice to see a rather fat man and a skinny tall one next to him, dressed in suits, approaching them. Leila frowned and avoided looking at them, while Akito stared, curious as to who was it that approached them.

"You should have told us you were coming, Leila!" Said happily the fat man, as he and the skinny man walked over to Leila. "It's been a year since we saw you." Noted the taller man, as Leila walked a few steps to approach them.

"It's been a while, brother Daniel, brother Stefan." Leila greeted the two men, who were apparently members of the Malcal family.

"Leila, why are you wearing those clothes to such a great party?" Asked her Daniel. "Don't be so boorish, dear." He said in a cheerful manner.

"This uniform is my best clothing." Leila blandly noted, to which the two men smiled.

"Sounds like you haven't changed, Leila." Smiled at her Stefan.

Their conversation was then interrupted by the arrival of a rather unwelcome guest. "Well, well!" Said the arrogant man, as he walked over to the group, with two skimpy dressed women. "If it isn't my lovely younger sister." The man said, with a grin, as he pushed away the two women hanging around his arms.

Leila became worried when she saw the man. "Brother… Ioan." She blurted out, not having wanted to meet the member of the Malcal family in the slightest.

"Oh? I see. Hooked up with an Eleven, have you?" Johann said in his arrogant tone, as he walked over to Leila, giving Akito a cocky grin, who stared blandly at him.

"This is my bodyguard, Lt. Hyuga." Leila introduced her subordinate.

"Pleased to meet you." Akito replied.

"I am Leila's older brother, third son of the Malcal family, Ioan Malcal." Ioan introduced himself, looking down at Akito, as he then mockingly bowed. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant." Akito wasn't fazed in the slightest, even when Ioan raised his head and grinned at him. "That's right. I guess I should say this as well:" He said, as he got in Akito's face. "She's also my fiancée." He turned to look at Leila, while Akito stared at him with disinterest, to which Leila gasped and then frowned at Ioan.

Leila made to pull back, but Ioan walked over to her and forcefully grabbed her hand with a chuckle. "You see, this girl here is the adopted daughter of the Malcal family." He said and pulled Leila close to him against her will, as she glared at him and struggled to break free. "But the fat old man took a liking to her. So he went and decided my marriage to her."

"Ioan!" Daniel and Stefan were worried that their brother was making a scene. Ioan then let go of Leila and pushed her away, making her drop her glass on the ground. He then grabbed her by the chin, to which Leila responded by glaring intensely at him.

"But the thought of marrying a girl like you turns my stomach." He said, staring at Leila.

"Stop it, Ioan!" Daniel and Stefan ran over to him to stop things from escalating any further. "Cut it out already!" They said, as they pulled him away from Leila, but Ioan continued to make disgusting remarks towards her.

"That's right! I'll make you my whore! You'll be my mistress!" He sneered at Leila, grinning, as Daniel and Stefan struggled to hold him back. Leila frowned when she heard him. "It really fits you, Leila!" Ioan ridiculed her, as she was on the verge of lashing out at him and breaking a few bones.

Akito watched his superior and then turned to look at the disgusting man who had angered her. He let out an internal sigh and walked over to Johann and purposefully bumped into him, spilling his own drink all over him. "Oh, I'm sorry." Akito replied with a stoic expression.

Ioan glared at Akito and made to strike at him with his right hand. "Why you…!" But Akito caught his wrist and started to twist it, while Leila watched in surprise. Akito then promptly turned Ioan around twisting his hand behind his back and leaned closer to Ioan's ear.

"Did you know that all Elevens are extremely skilled with blades?" Akito said to the rich man. "If you'd like, I can cut up your face here and now." Akito said in a threateningly low and serious tone, as his eyes narrowed at the man, which terrified Ioan.

"L-Let go! Let go of me!" Ioan yelled out, terrified, as Akito let go of his twisted hand. Ioan then ran over to his two brothers, staring at Akito in fear.

The blue haired soldier reached inside his uniform and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here you go. Please use this." He said, as he handed the handkerchief towards Johann with a sinister smile on his face.

Those close to them stared briefly at them, wondering what was going on. Ioan quickly took the handkerchief and made himself scarce.

Akito then turned to walk away. "Let's go, Commander Malcal." He said, as he began walking.

"Lieutenant Hyuga! Wait a second!" Leila was still surprised from what she had seen and increased her pace to reach Akito.

The two of them walked to the outside balcony and seated themselves on one of the tables under the night sky. The light coming from the huge windows of the room was enough to shine over to where they were sitting.

"I didn't know you were so good with swords." Leila said, surprised by Akito's previous statement.

"What might you be talking about?" The blue haired Lt. replied.

"What you were just saying, about being skilled with blades." Leila inquired further.

"Oh…" Akito simply closed his eyes and folded his arms. "Europeans are all the same." He said with a bored look and tone, as he opened his eyes. "They're scared of Japanese people because they think we all know karate and are good with swords." Leila was surprised to hear him put that so bluntly. "They ridicule us."

The blond girl took offense to that remark. "I'm not like that!" She replied sternly, prompting Akito to glance at her with the same neutral expression he always had.

"Speaking of, you're a black belt in Aikido?" He asked, having remembered something about his superior officer.

"Who'd you hear that from?" Leila asked, confused.

"Captain Clement told me." Akito said, as he turned to the side.

Leila let out a heavy sigh. "Anna's such a loudmouth." She said with an almost embarrassed sounding voice.

"You were classmates with Captain Clement?" Akito asked.

"When we were children, after I became adopted into the Malcal family." Leila said, turning to look at the blue haired Japanese boy, after which she looked at the ground. "My birth parents were apparently Britannian aristocrats."

Akito was intrigued by what he heard. "Britannia? They were exiled to Europe?"

"Yes. I was born in Europe." Leila nodded in confirmation. "But my parents died twelve years ago, and I was alone." She said, as she then took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "The great Malcal family wanted to see what an aristocrat was like, so they took me in." Leila then frowned, as she continued speaking. "With the intention to someday marry me off to their youngest son, Johann."

"So he is your brother, and your fiancée." Akito said and then let out a chuckle, which prompted Leila to look at him confused. "What a happy-go-lucky bunch." Leila looked at Akito, as he continued. "They have the time to compare blood lines and wealth." Akito said, as he gestured for a waiter to come, after which he took a glass of juice.

"Lt. Hyuga!" Leila scolded him for having said something like that.

"But if you don't like it…" Akito said, as he brought up his glass in front of the crescent moon shining over them. "… Shall I erase it for you?" He said and then brought the glass closer to his face. "… That whole world." A sinister smirk placed itself on Akito's face, as he gazed through his glass.

Leila stared nervously at him. She didn't know what to make of his statement, since he couldn't actually mean what he said, could he? She wondered if she would ever come to understand him, as she gazed up at the night sky's stars.

 **Amsterdam Ghetto**

The sun settled on the sky and shone over the dark streets of the Amsterdam Ghetto. The Ghetto was a special area made to be a residence for Japanese people, but it was left to rot, much like its inhabitants. That day, however, inside an old abandoned theater, was a meeting between the mafia and a rebel group. The inside was dark and ruined, where the stage and seats had been, was now nothing but an empty large room with cracked walls.

Said space was currently occupied by a group of three Elevens and a mafia band. There was a large open container, which contained a Glasgow model, delivered there by the mafia. One of the Elevens was checking the Knightmare if it was in working condition, while the boss of the gang surrounding him and his two friends was rambling on.

Said Eleven was a tall young man, wearing a black leather jacket and pants with a Japanese character on the back and various buttons and pins on the front, one of them being the rising sun as well as black boots and two shoulder and elbow armor plating. He had disheveled brown hair and brown eyes. This was Ryo Sayama, leader of a small Japanese terrorist group, whose members had dropped down to him and his two friends.

"This is the first time a war of this scale has taken place in the underground." Said the mafia boss, sitting in his chair, while all of his men stood around him, armed and ready to fire at the Elevens.

Standing off to the side were a boy and a girl, of which the boy was occupied with his tech pad, while the girl stood leaned by a pillar. The boy, Yukiya Naruse, had light brown spiky hair and bright green eyes and was dressed in a blue tracksuit. He excelled at collecting data and handling explosives and was also extremely adept at tech related skills.

His companion was Ayano Kosaka, a girl with neck-length black hair and pink eyes, wearing a white sweatshirt, underneath it a grey top, black shorts, around which she had strapped a red belt, which helped hold a kodachi behind her waist, as well as white boots. The small blade behind her waist wasn't just for show, as she used it in fights, along with the Japanese martial arts that she was fond of.

The two of them, along with Ryo, were the only surviving members of their group, which had been gunned down by the very same mafia that stood before them now.

"Ryo Sayama." The boss of the mafia spoke again, as he entangled his fingers. "Thanks to you, I paid a great sacrifice. Let's end it already." He leaned back on his chair and gestured to the Glasgow. "I've even prepared a gift for you."

Yukiya was busy rewriting the pilot ID for the Glasgow to suit Ryo and not the Britannian pilot from who it was most likely taken. When the screen of his pad indicated that the transfer was complete he gave a shout out to his friend.

"Ryo, I've finished transferring the pilot IDs." Yukiya said, as he unplugged his pad from the cable which connected it to the Knightmare.

"Good work, Yukiya." Ryo turned to his friend and gave him a thumbs up.

"You've just made small change into big capital." Spoke the mafia boss, prompting Ryo to return his attention to him.

"That so?" Ryo asked with a smug attitude. "Then since we've already paid, this isn't the present you were talking about?" He said, leaning on the Glasgow.

"Don't get cocky just because you make some cash online. You little thief." Replied the mafia boss, while unknown to anyone but Ryo and Ayano, Yukiya set off a timer from his tablet.

The countdown was set for thirty seconds and they were ticking, bringing the fate of the unsuspecting mobsters. Yukiya closed his tablet and looked at the mafia boss. "Then why don't you guys do it too? If you can, that is." He said with a clever smirk.

"Filthy Eleven giving us lip?!" One of the goons pulled out his gun, not going to take being mocked by a number, as he was followed by the rest of his colleagues. Soon, the three Japanese found themselves being stared at by the barrels of numerous guns and retained their cocky attitude.

"Now, now, don't get so riled up." The boss gestured to his men to stand down from his chair. "Ryo Sayama, as youngsters you still have to pay your elders."

Ryo spit to the side and smirked at the man. "That's ironic, coming from a scoundrel like you." He said, as he then turned to his friends. "Right, Yukiya?"

"Just let him talk. Old people are always preaching about something, anyway." Yikiya said, as Ayano leaned off the wall she was standing next to and walked over to Ryo.

"Ryo…" She whispered as she got close to him, prompting the taller guy to slightly turn to look at his friend. "Mariko and Shinji's revenge…" She reminded him of the fact that they had to pay the mafia boss back for killing off the rest of their group.

"Be patient." Ryo whispered back, while Yukiya was counting down the remaining seconds. "Fifteen, Fourteen, Thirteen…" He whispered to himself with a crafty smirk.

"How about it, Ryo? Won't you join our organization? I recognize your talent." The mobster proposed to the young Eleven gang leader.

"I'll have to decline." Was Ryo's reply. "Just the thought of being your underling…" Ryo's facial expression changed to a frown, as he sneered at the man. "… makes me want to puke!"

"The fuck you say?!" The boss was outraged.

"Four… Three… Ryo!" Yukiya called out to his friend and jumped behind the steel beams he was sitting on for cover, while Ryo ran inside the Glasgow container along with Ayano.

The mobster's grunts were about to spray them with bullets, but then a bomb detonated causing an explosion, which set off a chain reaction, activating the other bombs planted by the trio of Elevens to kill the mobsters. All of them tried to run for their lives, but all they did was run into more detonating bombs. When the explosions and screams subsided, all of the mafia members were dead, well, all except for their boss, who was severely wounded from the many explosions and was trying to crawl for dear life.

"Wow… torn to pieces." Yukiya marveled at his handiwork.

"How horrible. Good luck to whoever cleans this up." Ryo said, as he walked out of the container of the Glasgow along with Ayano, who stayed to check if the Knightmare got damaged. "Yukiya! Can't use this next time." He told his friend, referring to their current ambush location.

"Got it." Yukiya replied, as he walked over to Ryo.

Ayano was looking around, taking note of all the dead people. "Humans are so fragile…" She thought out loud, but her attention was then focused on the grunts of the surviving Mafia boss.

"S-someone… c-call… call… a d-doctor…" Panted the boss, whose left leg was blown off and blood was streaming from the open hole and other wounds he had gotten. It was an honest miracle that he had survived.

"What, you're still alive?" Ryo asked, as he walked over to the crawling man.

"Save me." Pleaded the man.

"I don't really mind, but…" Ryo said, as he crouched to get face to face with the hurt man. "how much will you pay?" He asked with a devilish smirk, causing the man's eyes to widen in horror. "I'm asking how much you think your life is worth." Ryo said with a grin, as he then laughed and moved back from the man, standing up with his hands in his pockets.

The wounded man shivered in fear, as he crawled further away from the Eleven. "A-Are you terrorists?" The man asked, making Ryo stop laughing.

"Nope, what we want is…" Ryo then turned around with a pistol in his hand and put a bullet through the boss of the mafia's head. "world peace." He said, as he sheathed his pistol and turned to his two friends. "Yukiya, Ayano, the real show is yet to come."

"We know." Nodded Ayano.

"Things are about to get fun, aren't they?" Grinned Yukiya.

 **Amsterdam, city center**

Sometime later, the main road was being used by a military escort. Said escort consisted of two military vans, two Gardmare Knightmare frames, one of which was being transported inside a container along with its current pilot, Akito Hyuga. The line-up was meant to guard the limousine in which General Gene Smilas and Lt. Colonel Leila Malcal were travelling.

"Ever since the Revolution 300 years ago, our European Union has been under tyrannical rule." Said Smilas, sharing his opinion on the current political condition of the nation with Leila, as the limo travelled, following its GPS. "But the system responsible for this oppressive nation, the mammonism born from egoism, may be exactly what those revolutionaries wanted." He said, as he glanced outside the window. "At least that's the case for those that support this country's leaders." Leila frowned when she heard the general continue. "At this rate, the day when Britannia conquers us may not be so far away."

The convoy continued to drive, following their set route, as the general continued. "After the Revolution, the nobles and aristocrats ran to the new continent, and our days of power were over." He paused for a brief moment and then continued. "That's why I think the general of the European Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, was executed at the guillotine. If he had been the emperor of this Union…" He trailed off, allowing Leila to speak her mind.

"General Napoleon wanted a dictatorship?" Asked Leila, figuring out what Smilas was talking about.

Gene turned to face Leila and spoke. "A skilled dictator is much more beneficial to humanity than a democracy of ignorant people." Smilas stated his ideology. "Your father wished for that." He said with pride, remembering his deceased friend, then becoming saddened. "That's why he was killed."

Leila was surprised and disheartened to hear that, as she looked to the ground somberly. "I was still young when he died, so I don't really…" She said sorrowfully.

The general became worried that Leila misunderstood him and quickly spoke up. "Oh, no, I'm not criticizing him. Your father and I were very close." He said, as he looked out the window of the limo.

They were currently passing by the Ghetto, which was like a completely different world compared to the rest of the city. Leila glanced to her side and became depressed upon seeing the countless elderly Japanese people hanging around the fences, that were placed over the buildings to separate them from the rest of the city, carrying protest signs. Other people could be seen siting around small fires to keep them warm, dressed in rugged clothing, looking miserable.

"The Elevens turned away from Britannia and came to Europe, but ended up being segregated like this because of the cowardice born from tyranny." Sighed Gene Smilas. "Docile Elevens sure look pathetic…"

Leila just watched on, saddened to see people in such a state. Meanwhile, Akito was riding inside his Gardmare, silently waiting for the convoy to reach its destination, ignoring the sick jokes towards the Japanese made by the driver and his buddies.

After a while, they reach a land bridge and proceed to drive through it. Unknown to them, however, inside an abandoned storehouse, Yukiya Naruse was monitoring them on his tablet.

"Target has entered the area. Right on schedule." He said on the coms he, Ayano and Ryo used to communicate. "Security is just as predicted. Now then… let's start the game!"

Ryo entered the start-up codes for the Glasgow and its screen turned on, showcasing the flag of Britannia and the decree of the Britannian military on it. Ayano, meanwhile, was standing near the location of the bridge in question with her hood pulled up to hide her face, as she waited for Yukiya's instructions.

"Five minutes out." Yukiya told his friends, notifying them to get ready.

The convoy drove along the bridge, as the only noise heard was the sound of the engines and the wheels rolling. No one could've suspected what was about to happen next. Planted on the underside of the bridge were remote triggered explosives, waiting for the input signal from Yukiya's tablet to go off.

Yukiya smiled, as the countdown hit the Zero mark and the bombs detonated. Akito, inside his Gardmare, got a feeling that something bad was about to happen and in the next instant, explosions could be heard from outside. The bombs severed the bridge, taking the two military vans as the first casualty.

The driver of the limousine barely managed to hit the brakes on time and stop before they fell off the destroyed bridge. Smilas and Leila shook from the sudden braking. The deployed Gardmare unit stopped to check what had happened.

Akito's transport, on the other hand, crashed into the side of the bridge, jamming its hatch, restricting the blue haired Japanese pilot from exiting out of the transport container. He let out an irritated click of his tongue, as he realized that he couldn't get out. "Tch. Hatch won't open?"

Outside, Ryo in his Glasgow, saw that the bombs did their job and proceeded to move in. "Let's do it!" He declared, as he deployed the Landspinner Propulsion System and jumped on top of the bridge, surprising the deployed Gardmare unit.

He opened fire on it, not leaving the European pilot any time to react to his sudden appearance, and destroyed the legs of the smaller Knightmare. "Child's play!" He yelled out victoriously, as he charged towards the Gardmare, took out one of the elbow-mounted tonfas and stabbed the cockpit of the enemy unit. He then took out the weapon and kicked the Knightmare away, as it exploded, after which started making his way towards the limousine.

Inside the car, Leila and the general were looking at the camera feed, surprised by what they saw. "A Knightmare?" Asked Leila, seeing the approaching Glasgow.

"Are they terrorists?" Asked Smilas, angered.

"Probably." Nodded Leila. "Let's stay in here for no-" She cut herself off, when she saw a girl her age, wearing a hoodie pull up a grenade to her.

Leila immediately realized what was about to happen, as she saw the girl pull the safety ring. "General! Hurry, outside!" She yelled out, as she along with the general removed their seat-belts. She opened the door to the vehicle, just as Ayano threw the grenade beneath the limo and ran for cover. "Driver, you too! Hurry!" Leila yelled out, as she and the general ran away.

"It's dangerous, Commander! It's dangerous! Commander, please come back!" Begged the scared driver, a second after which the grenade exploded, completely destroying the vehicle and killing the poor soul inside it.

The shockwave from the blast sent Leila flying a few feet, while general Smilas, who had managed to run a good distance away, got himself captured by Ayano, who twisted his right hand behind his back and pulled her kodachi by his neck.

"It's sharp. Want to see?" She asked with a devilish grin, as she brought the blade closer to the nervous general's throat.

"Ayano's got the target." Yukiya informed Ryo over the coms, while making his way to his friends' location.

"All right! Let's get outta here!" Said Ryo, as he then spoke to Ayano over the comms. "Ayano! Take the old man and meet up with Yukiya!" Ryo said, but then something caught his attention, as the screen inside the cockpit of the Glasgow showed him the crashed container.

Sparks were flying from its side, confusing Ryo as to what was going. The sparks stopped and a second after that, the Gardmare unit piloted by Akito broke out, surprising both Ryo and Ayano. Akito forwarded his Knightmare towards the Glasgow and opened fire.

Ryo used the Landspinners to dodge the bullets and was annoyed by the appearance of the other Knightmare. "Still one left? What a pain!" He said over the speakers of the Glasgow and made his way towards the Gardmare.

The two Knightmares charged at each other guns blazing. Akito attempted to take a swing at the Glasgow, but it dodged to the side. The Gardmare then jumped in the air, attempting to sledgehammer the other unit, but missed, thanks to the Glasgow's superior mobility.

Ryo put some distance between himself and the Gardmare and took aim. "That's it for you!" He yelled out, as he opened fire with the rifle of his frame, taking out one of the arms of the enemy unit.

Akito charged his machine straight for the Glasgow, intending to use it as a decoy, as he opened the hatch on the back and jumped off, the Knightmare providing cover for him. He rolled on the ground to lower his momentum, clutching the grenade launcher he had taken from the inside of the Gardmare, which was hit in the energy filler by one of the bullets and exploded, providing a smoke screen.

Akito ran straight for the Glasgow, surprising Ryo. "What's with this guy? Hand-to-hand with a Knightmare?" He chuckled. "Taking us lightly? If you want to die that badly…" Ryo said, as he took aim at the running Akito. "I'll kill you."

Then to Ryo's surprise, Akito came to a stop and fired off the grappling hook equipped to his grenade launcher, latching it on the chest area of the Glasgow. He then activated the pulling mechanism, as he started to slide at high speeds towards the Knightmare.

"Shit!" Ryo exclaimed in surprise, having not anticipated such a move, as he changed the view of the screen inside the cockpit to find Akito sliding towards him, grenade launcher aimed at the Glasgow. "Damn it!" He exclaimed, as in the next instant, Akito slid right underneath the Glasgow and fired at its crotch, destroying its leg support, making the Knightmare fall to the ground.

Akito then ran over to the Glasgow, while Ryo recovered from the shock in the cockpit. "Fuck!" He exclaimed, as he then saw Akito on the camera, aiming the grenade launcher at it.

In the next instant, Akito fired, blowing off the Knightmare's head off, leaving Ryo inside without any visual feedback. He then took aim at the cockpit.

"Ryo!" Ayano exclaimed in concern for her friend.

Akito was about to fire, but then heard his commander calling for him. "Lieutenant Hyuga!" Leila yelled out, making Akito turn to look at her, but still keeping his gun aimed at the cockpit. "Let them live." She told him.

Ayano used this chance to hit the general in the back of the head with the handle of her knife, effectively making him pass out on the ground. She then prepared her blade and ran to attack Leila. "Ryo!" She yelled out, wanting to rescue her friend.

Leila turned around to see Ayano attempt to slash at her, holding her kodachi with an inverted grip. Before the blade could reach her, Leila stopped Ayano's hand and then threw the Japanese girl over her shoulder. When Ayano hit the ground she dropped her blade, but Leila's grip on her arm did not lessen, as she also clenched the nerves of Ayano's bicep with her other hand, pinning her down in the process.

"Pilot of the Glasgow!" Leila yelled out. "I've subdued your friend. Resistance is futile. Hurry up and come out!" She demanded.

"Don't hurt her!" Came Ryo's voice through the speaker of the Glasgow. "I'm coming out now." He said, as the hatch on the cockpit opened and Ryo exited. "There, I'm outside." He stated, raising his hands in the air, as he found himself being aimed at by Akito. "Huh? What's going on? It's a kid." Ryo said, disappointed that he was bested by the blue haired boy before him.

"I think your ages are probably similar." Said Leila, as she walked towards them, having twisted Ayano's hand behind her back and holding her hostage.

"Commander Malcal." Came Akito's voice for the first time since the whole attack happened.

"Hmm?" Leila was curious to see what he had to say.

"Letting them go would cause more trouble." He said, to which Ryo grinned.

"Looks like you get it." The brown haired Japanese said, followed by a chuckle from Ayano.

"That's right." She said, but then, to her surprise, Yukiya's voice came.

"Let go of them!"

Leila turned around to see who was this new arrival and saw Yukiya walking over to them with a belt of grenades strapped over his body. "Quickly. Don't try and buy time." He said, as he continued to get closer to Leila and Akito. "If you don't let them go, I'll detonate!" He threatened, raising his hand in front of his face to showcase the detonator, which shocked Leila.

Akito, however, wasn't fazed in the slightest, as he turned his head slightly towards Yukiya to look at him. "Try it. Your friends will die too." He said, gaining a curious glance from Leila.

"Do I look like some kid who'll be cowed that easily?" Yukiya asked.

Akito glared at him, calling his bluff. "You do." He taunted the other Eleven, to which Yukiya responded by showcasing his surprise at Akito's deduction.

"Yukiya, do it!" Ayano demanded, as she started to struggle from Leila's hold. "If we're going to be captured and killed, might as well die together!" She yelled out.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Leila spoke. "Let's hear your demands." She said, not wanting to waste the lives of the three Japanese teenagers, shocking the others present, as she then turned towards Ryo. "What do you want so badly, that you were willing to kidnap General Smilas for it?" She asked.

"We wanted the newest Knightmare." Ryo answered.

"A Knightmare?" Leila was surprised by his reply, thinking that it was too simple to be their real motive. "Did you think that you'd be able to get away after doing this?"

"We'll see how far we get." Replied Yukiya. "Next time we won't be taken out so easily."

"Naïve indeed." Akito said, as he turned around to face Yukiya, but still kept Ryo at gunpoint. "The Army will kill you, even if it costs them." His reply surprising the other Elevens once more.

Leila didn't like the stalemate that they were currently in. She wanted for the situation to be resolved without any more deaths and for that to happen, she had to be sure of something. "Tell me! What is it you truly want?" She asked Ryo once more.

Ryo let out a surrendering sigh. "… We want a place to belong." He revealed his and his friends' true goal.

"A place to belong?" Leila asked, confused, as a breeze blew her hair to the side.

Ryo put his hands down. "You guys sure are stupid. You live so contently in this shitty world you've created." Ryo said, but then his grin turned to a frown. "But for us Elevens, there is no place in this world." He said, as he gazed up at the sky.

Akito had a cocky smirk on his face after hearing Ryo's statement. "If you want a place for Elevens, are you going to create a country?" He asked arrogantly.

"I have no intention of involving all Elevens." Replied Ryo. "All we want…" He lifted his hands and shrugged. "is a place for us…" He said, talking about himself and his two friends. "and only us."

Akito stared at him with an unreadable expression, while Leila was sure that she had heard what she needed, as she spoke up. "If it's a place you want, I'll give you one." She said, surprising Ayano and making Akito's smirk to disappear. "Join my unit!" Said Leila. "That's where you belong!"

"I see." Ryo said, as he scratched the back of his head. "If we don't…" He spoke up, as he looked up at the sky to see a couple of military choppers to have surrounded the area. "… we'll be killed." He said and then turned to face Akito. "So we don't have a choice, is that it?"

Akito's smirk returned to his face, as the situation finally resolved itself.

 **Euro Britannia, Headquarters of the Knights of St. Michael.**

What Akito didn't know, however, was the fact that a certain individual connected to him was starting to take matters into his own hands.

"We the Michael Knights have been ordered by Archduke Velaines to withdraw from St. Petersburg." Came the voice of Michele Manfredi.

He was a tall middle-aged man, with long black hair and violet eyes and a scar over his left one. He was dressed in a green and black outfit with golden linings and crest of Britannia's military on the chest. He also had a long red cloak with the same golden crest on it span down to his legs and a sword strapped to his waist. This man was the Grand Master of the Knights of St. Michael, one of the four holy knight orders of Euro Britannia, Michele Manfredi.

Before him, stood an individual with long blue hair, styled in a ponytail, with vibrant green eyes. He wore a long white and red outfit with golden linings and crest of Britannia spanning across the back and front of his outfit. He had metal finger guards and a sheathed sword strapped to his waist.

"St. Petersburg…" Replied the individual.

"At Narva, west of St. Petersburg, the Raphael Knights were annihilated." Manfredi spoke about the fate of his fellow Knights, as he gazed out the window of his office. "The enemy was a humanoid Knightmare unit." He turned to his subordinate.

"The E.U forces at Narva were supposed to be completely surrounded and isolated from the western front." Replied the blue haired man. "I don't think reinforcements could have broken through the western line that easily."

Manfredi walked towards his throne. "The enemy suddenly launched an attack from within the surrounded area." He said.

"Suddenly?" The other man was interested to learn more.

"That's what the survivors say." Said Manfredi, as he sat on his throne and placed his hands together. "They said they 'came out of nowhere'."

"The one who attacked the Roman Empire, General Hannibal." The blue haired individual made an analogy with the actions of a historical figure.

"Hannibal?" Asked Manfredi. "That's right, it could be Hannibal's Ghost." Said the Grand Master. "But if we want to talk about ghosts, the European Union has one too!" Manfredi declared. "The ghost of the revolutionary from 300 years ago! The one who led the ignorant masses!"

"We, the pure blooded noble Euro-Britannians must transcend that foolish statesman and pave the way for the future." Replied Manfredi's subordinate.

The Grand Master smiled upon hearing his subordinate's words. "Justice has chosen us!" He declared, as he rose from his throne. "Shin, the warrior blood of the Orient flows through your veins." He spoke to Shin. "Soon, you will be able to join the ranks of the European aristocrats and our millennia of history!"

"You are too kind, Lord Manfredi." Replied Shin. "In that case…" He said with a cold and unrelenting gaze. "… I'd like to take over the Michael Knights."

Manfredi was surprised to hear the request, but then started laughing cheerfully. "Shin, you've got quite the ambition." He said happily, as he walked over to the blue haired younger man and placed his hands on his shoulders. "In five more years, you'll be ready to take over the Michael Knights as my successor. I'm looking forward to that day." Manfredi said happily. "Shin, I think of you as closer than my blood brother."

"Brother?" The word struck an odd note in Shin.

"That's right. Let's make a new world." Manfredi replied.

Images of Shin's past flashed before his mind. His dead mother, a pile of corpses surrounding him and a small young boy with blue hair and eyes. "What a joke." Shin said, surprising Manfredi, as he took off the Grand Master's hands off his shoulders.

"Shin…" Manfredi was confused.

"Unfortunately, Lord Manfredi, you are unfit to be the Michael Knights' leader." Shin said, as he stepped back and raised his right hand towards Manfredi.

"What are you saying, Shin?!" The Grand Master was offended by his subordinate's remark.

"It is I… who is appropriate." Shin stated, as he waved his hand out and a Geass emblem appeared in his left eye, taking hold of Manfredi's conscience. "Lord Manfredi. It's time to go on a trip."

"Yeah." Replied the entranced Manfredi, who had red circles around his pupils. "That's right." He said, as he took out his sword and held it with both hands, after which he positioned it next to his neck. "I'll go ahead, Shin Hyuga Shaing."

Shin watched, as Manfredi cut open his throat and blood spilled out everywhere, as some even managed to get on him. A sinister smirk placed itself on his lips, as he watched Manfredi's lifeless body drop to the ground. "Farewell, Manfredi." He said, after which he turned around and began to walk away, leaving the crime scene.

 **W-0 Headquarters, Castle Weisswolf**

Leila was walking down a stone staircase that led to the forest surrounding the castle, which served as a base of operations and living space for her unit. She walked through the forest, looking for a certain blue haired soldier, who was nowhere to be found inside the castle.

The sun was starting to rise, as she walked through the misty forest. She then suddenly came to a stop and hid behind a tree, finding her person of interest. "Akito?" She whispered to herself, seeing the young man to be piling some small rocks near some grave stones.

Her presence, however, did not go unnoticed by Akito, as he turned around to greet her. "Good morning, Commander Malcal." He said, surprising his commander.

"G-Good morning, Lieutenant Hyuga." Leila greeted him, walking out of the tree's back and towards Akito, who stood up from his previous crouched position. "What are you doing here?" Leila asked him.

Akito stared at the graves before him. "I made a promise." He replied.

"A promise?" Leila asked, as she walked beside him.

"These are the graves of the men that died at Narva." Akito replied.

"At Narva? Their graves?" Leila was surprised and saddened to hear the lost soldiers being brought up, as she too gazed at the graves.

"We made a promise before we sortied." Akito explained. "That the survivors would bury the fallen, here." He added, as he stared at the ground, not a hint of emotion in his voice. "I am the only survivor."

"I'm also responsible for their deaths." Leila said, saddened.

"They sortied with a smile." Akito continued, as he saw the ghosts of his fallen comrades.

"That's right." Spoke one. "Our families were able to become E.U. citizens because we joined the war. That's more than enough." Said the ghost, as it turned its back to Akito and walked away. "More importantly, Akito. Why do you fight?" He asked.

"You have no family to protect." Said one of the ghosts. "No country to fight for…" Said another and then all of them spoke at once. "You're alone. Why are you living?"

Akito looked solemnly at the graves, as he replied. "So I can die."

"Lieutenant Hyuga." Leila asked for his attention, off-put by his mumbling and concerned for his well-being. "Is something bothering you?" She asked, as Akito turned to look at her. "You suddenly got quiet…"

Akito looked back at the graves and spoke. "No. I was talking to them." He replied, confusing Leila.

"To them?"

"They should be dead, but I can hear them." Akito said, as he turned around to face Leila with a smirk. "… their voices."

Leila didn't know what to make out of this information. She couldn't understand Akito at all.

"Because I've… died before." Akito told his commander, leaving her utterly shocked and confused by his words.

 **Airspace between the Britannian homeland and Euro Britannia**

The Leviathan was making its way towards Euro Britannia. Onboard it, Julius was residing in his private quarters. He was sitting on one of the seats near the window of his residence, his head rested on his right hand, as he played with the crystal of his eye-patch with the other. He was gazing out the window with a smirk, as the hour of arrival grew ever closer.

A knock came on his door, which slightly irritated the prince that he was bothered, as in the next instant Nonette entered his room. "Hey, how ya doin?" She asked cheerfully.

"Fine, until just a second ago." Julius replied, giving Nonette an irritated look. "However," He said, as he stood up from his seat. "I do feel quite bored."

Nonette shrugged, feeling sympathetic, since she too wasn't big on the whole waiting part. "Well then, how about we do some exercise?" She said with the same joyous smile as always. "You know, to work up those muscles and bring you back into shape."

Julius thought about her proposal for a few moments and let out a satisfied hum. "Yes, perhaps some swordplay will make the time pass faster." He said, as he headed out of his room, with Nonette following after him. He turned to look at her, while they walked towards the training facility on the ship. "I presume you aren't interested in what I have planned for when we get to St. Petersburg?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh, you know that I don't care about stuff like that, Jule." Nonette said happily. "As long as your actions benefit Britannia, I will be your aide." She added with a brief note of seriousness. "Anyway, let's have a lot of fun when we get there, since the winners are those that have fun while doing whatever they want, after all." She hummed.

Julius chuckled at her comment. _Benefit Britannia, huh?_ He smirked. _What a joke._ "Hmph, I'll have my share of fun, don't you worry." He said, as they arrived at the training room.

Nonette discarded her purple cloak, while Julius removed the cape from his outfit, so it would not get in his way. The prince went over to one of the weapon containers and took out a standard long sword. He practiced his grip on the blade, as he made a few swings in the air, to refresh his muscle memory of how a blade was handled. "I had forgotten." He said with a smile. "How good it feels to have a blade in hand." He turned around to see Nonette waiting for him, with her own sword rested on her shoulder.

"Alright then, Jule." Nonette smiled, as she readied her blade. "Let's see if you can handle a Knight of the Round."

"Hmph." Julius smirked, as he pointed his weapon at Nonette. "Come then, knight." He grinned, as he parried the insanely fast strike from Nonette's blade. He could feel that the force behind her swing was just as monstrous as he remembered, but this time, he wasn't going to let the older woman take a win from him.

"Oho, that was a nice block." Nonette smiled, as she retracted her sword and took a step back to avoid the horizontal slash from Julius' blade.

"Damn woman," Julius chuckled. "You were going to sever my arm if I hadn't blocked." He said, as he cracked his neck, getting into the fight.

"I can't have you slacking off on me." She said, as she and Julius stroke at each other, their blades' clashing resounding in the room. Words stopped coming from either of them, as they sped up the pace at which they exchanged blows, the sound of steel clashing with steel filling the room. The exchange was interrupted when Nonette performed a spin when she slashed, which surprised Julius and received a blow to the face from the backhand of the Knight of Nine's free hand, which made him retract a few steps, the momentum of the punch turning him around, prompting him to clench his sore jaw. "A sword fight doesn't consist only of weapons, you know." Nonette said, as she charged at him with his back turned.

Julius growled, angered, and turned around, slashing with full force, his blade colliding with Nonette's and offsetting her hand to the side from the direction of his swing. While she tried to move her hand back into blocking position, she failed to stop the sharp frontal kick to her abdomen from the prince, which made her stagger a few steps back. "Do you take me for a fool?" He said, still angered. "No matter the means by which I do, I'll always win!" He slashed at her, their blades colliding once more.

Nonette regained her composure and pushed him away. "It's great that you can use your anger in a fight, but it can also dull your reaction time." She said, as she surprised him with a quick center directed stab, which he barely avoided. "If you get carried away... oh?" Nonette began to speak, but stopped, when she had to parry an unexpected strike from Julius' blade.

"For all the times I've lost to you, you seriously think that I haven't learned from my failures?" He smirked, as he dropped the hold of his blade, which surprised Nonette, as she fell forward a little from the loss of the force that was pushing her back. That was exactly what Julius was aiming for, as he spun and kicked Nonette's blade from her hand, sending it flying a few feet away.

The Knight of Nine, however, was a seasoned soldier and immediately recoiled, drawing her revolver and aiming it at the prince, only to find him already aiming at her with a pistol he had kept in his pocket. "Oho," Nonette exclaimed surprised. "it looks like its your win." She shrugged, as she holstered her revolver, while the prince put away his own gun. "You've really come a long way from when we first sparred, Jule." She smiled at him, patting him on the head.

"Don't touch me." He swatted her hand away, frowning. "I've said it a thousand times already!"

Nonette laughed cheerfully. "You're a real downer. Oh well, come on, let's go get something to eat!" She said and grabbed him by the hand, dragging him with her before he could protest.

"Oi, slow down!" Julius yelled out, as he tried to break free from her iron grip and keep up the pace so he wouldn't fall face first on the ground. "I'm not some kid that you get to drag around places! Are you listening to me?!" He yelled.

* * *

 **Well, that was an unexpected cheesy ending. To be honest, I had planned on a Knight of the Round to accompany Julius, to mimic some of his scenes in Akito the Exiled, where Suzaku accompanies Lelouch, though I chose Nonette and not some of the others, because, she didn't have any screentime in the actual show and only gets a role in OZ the reflection XD, and she is a good character to make the mood less dark and depressing around Julius, much like what Lelouch had in his life at Ashford academy. From the first two chapters I kinda got the feeling that Julius was coming off a bit one dimensional and was only an arrogant psycho obsessed with revenge, but he is a normal human being and I wanted to accent a little on that. As for Akito's side of the story, I'm sticking to the first two and a half episodes for character establishing and development after which there will be bye-bye canon. I'd like to know if you guys think that the story should focus solely on Julius, cause the way i've planned things, there will be chapters in which we won't be seeing anything of him and the stage will be taken by other main characters like Lelouch or Orpheus for instance. Reviews are always welcomed and if you have any questions or suggestions, you can pm them to me. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.**


	4. The divided Wyvern

**Hey, guys, been a while since I updated. A quick note about this chapter: it will be almost the same as Akito ep 2, but from next chapter on, things will stop following the canon flow. With that said, let us get underway. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Stage 4: The divided Wyvern

 **Euro Britannia, Saint Petersburg, Catherine Palace**

It was a bright day at the Palace in St. Petersburg. Gloucesters from all four Knight Orders had gathered in a line, raising their spears to the sky, while soldiers stood in front of them, as the man they greeted made his way towards the castle. Inside, nobles from all across Euro Britannia had gathered to see the upcoming event. The individual of interest made his way down the red carpet. As he walked, his white boots clacked and his long blue hair swayed slightly from side to side along with the long pieces of fabric of his white and gold outfit.

Gathered were also the three Headmasters of the Knight Orders of St. Uriel, Raphael and Gabriel. They were standing next to the throne, on which sat the suzerain of Euro Britannia, Archduke Augusta Henry Velaines. He was a tall middle aged man, with dark gray hair and blue eyes, as he also had a beard and a moustache. He was dressed in a white and gold regal outfit, with purple linings across it.

In the crowd, a woman and her daughter proudly watched the blue haired man make his way towards the throne. Present were also the entire force of the Knights of St. Michael, who were dressed in the white red and gold uniforms of their faction, as they had gathered and stood at attention, their right hands crossed over their chests. Amidst them, an orange haired individual with same colored eyes smirked, as he watched the blue haired man walk.

The man in question, making his way down the red carpet, was none other than Shin Hyuga Shaing. The whole gathering was because of him and now he had arrived. He kneeled before the throne of the Archduke and crossed his right hand over his chest, his left hand placed on the sword strapped to his waist. The ceremony would begin.

"In the name of the heavens, the Earth, and the Holy Spirit," The Archduke spoke with a grand tone of voice, as he looked upon the kneeled Shin. "I, Duke Velaines, decree the following: That Shin Hyuga Shaing be welcomed as commander of the Holy Order of Michael, one of the Four Great Knight Orders that protects the Empire of Euro Britannia." He said, as he then rose from his seat. "Lord Shaing, to me."

Shin rose up and, along with the other Headmasters, took out his sword. They gathered in a circle and raised them in the air, crossing the blades. "All hail Britannia!" The four Headmasters proclaimed, as grand applause from everyone present began to fill the room.

Where the Knights of St. Michael had gathered, the orange haired man was delighted from the development, as he let his hands drop.

"I'm itching with excitement." He said with a smirk.

"Master Ashley?" Asked him one of his subordinates, who didn't understand what he meant.

"If I fight at Lord Shaing's side, I can take on the whole world." Ashley said, as he then ran his hand through his hair. "Aah, I want to see some action soon!"

To the side of the whole group stood another member of the Order of St. Michael, as she stood at attention and looked at the new Headmaster with unwavering loyalty. She had brownish-red hair and light purple eyes. This person was Jean Rowe, a Britannian Knight who served Shin Hyuga Shaing personally.

The four Headmasters began to walk out side by side. As they did, Andrea Farnese decided to have a word with the newly appointed commander.

"The late Manfredi was a friend." Said Andrea. "He would never have taken his own life." He slightly turned his head to look at Shin, as they walked. "I know that better than anyone."

A smirk was placed on Shin's face, as he began to speak. "I shall deal with the Ghost of Hannibal." His words surprised Andrea. "My Order of St. Michael will restore the honor of your Order of St. Raphael." Shin said, as he looked at Farnese, while they exited the palace.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf, W-0 base**

"Die." The words echoed. "Akito, die."

The location was a mansion, with dead bodies lying everywhere in the room, scent of blood filling the air and dim light coming from the tinted windows. Amidst the massacre stood two boys, one in his teens, who had long blue hair and green eyes, and another who was but a small child, with blue hair that was tied in a small braid and blue eyes. The small child was none other than Akito Hyuga.

"Die." The words echoed again, as they came out of the older boy's mouth.

"No!" Were Akito's words.

"Die."

"No!"

The older boy raised his hand and pointed at Akito, then retracted it to the left side of his face, covering his left eye. He then threw his arm to the side and commanded, a Geass appearing in his left eye. "Die!"

In that moment, Akito woke up. He opened his eyes to see the darkness in his room, the only light present coming from the moon. He stared emptily at the floor, as he was sitting in a corner of his room, dressed in a tank top and shorts that he used for sleeping. He could feel it, the emptiness of his existence.

In her office, Leila was writing in the diary she kept. _This place has a silence to it that makes the bustle of the city seem like a dream. A week has passed since we returned from Paris to Weisswolf Castle deep in the forest. I have yet to hear from General HQ regarding mission plans. This peaceful time will not last long, I'm afraid._ As she wrote, her black cat was playing with a toy mouse on her bed, making the bell on its collar to ring. _Because I know that days of fighting most certainly lie ahead._ She then remembered Akito and how mysterious he was.

She stood up from her seat and walked over to her window to gaze at the night sky. "Akito…" She spoke the name with concern.

Somewhere else in the castle, a red headed woman walked inside one of the research facilities, which was occupied by a chubby man, who was working away at the computer.

"How are things progressing, Joe Wise?" She asked the chubby man.

"Without a hitch." Replied the man. "The data transfer from the neuro device should finish on schedule, Dr. Randall."

The man was called Joe Wise. He was a tall chubby man with glasses, wearing a lab coat and was the assistant researcher to the woman standing next to him. The red headed doctor was Sophie Randall, a civilian brain science expert who was recruited from the private sector to work with the W-0. She was a middle aged woman with brown eyes, dressed in a short red dress, over which she wore a lab coat.

"Anna will be glad to hear it." Said Dr. Randall.

Her assistant grabbed a lollypop from a pot in which he had quite a few and offered it to her. "Want a sucker?" Joe Wise asked.

"Not right now." She kindly declined.

"Too bad, they're delicious." Replied her assistant.

"How do the EEG's of the other three look?" She asked, as she folded her arms beneath her chest.

"Promising, I think." Said Joe, as he leaned closer to the screen to get a better a look at it. "They're kinda scary, but all three have an AAA compatibility rating. It's amazing." He exclaimed and turned to his boss. "They seem to be a good match for Akito, too."

"BRS success probability?" Asked Dr. Randall.

"Around 87%, I'd say." Replied Joe Wise, which surprised Sophie.

"Really?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah. They're not even parents or siblings. It's strange." Said her assistant, as he adjusted his glasses.

"You're right. It is strange." Sophie said with a small smile.

At another location in the castle, the three new recruits of the W-0 were getting bored from being under house arrest. They were hanging out in their room, the walls of which had been spray painted on with Japanese symbols, aimlessly walking around, or so it seemed.

"Hey, Ryo. How long do you plan to stick around here?" Ayano asked her friend, as she sat next to the window in the room, while Yukiya was working on something on his tablet.

"We get free room and board here." Ryo said while he lay on his bed. "It looks like an old castle, but it's high tech and tidy inside. That's why there's not a rat to be seen. Right, Yukiya?" Ryo turned to his companion with an arrogant smirk.

"That's right, Ayano, you hate rats, don't you?" He said, as he continued to work on his tablet.

The three of them were given different variations to the W-0 blue and red uniform that had the W-0 logo on, which was the head of a wyvern and its wings. They were currently dressed in these outfits, but theirs had some minor differences to Akito's. Ryo's differed by having a red top underneath the blue and red jacket, which he wore unzipped and a white scarf. Yukiya's had a light blue shirt underneath and he had wrapped the white scarf around his neck. Ayano had went with a sleeveless jacket, beneath which she wore a pink tank top and had the same white scarf, though she had wrapped in a different fashion. She also had pink sleeves on her forearms and leggings of the same color beneath the long black boots.

Ayano was infuriated by her friends' carelessness, as she jumped up from her seat. "It's not like you to let somebody put you into a uniform and do nothing!" She complained.

"Don't get so worked up." Ryo said, as he lifted himself up.

"I bet Ayano doesn't like that they took her dagger from her." Yukiya joked, to which Ryo responded with a snicker.

"Damn right I don't!" Ayano growled. "That bitch… or that guy!" She cursed, referring to Leila and Akito. "How could a Japanese be working for-" She was then cut off by Ryo.

"Yukiya, have you finished setting up out next game?" Ryo asked with a mischievous smile.

"Just about." Replied his friend, which caught Ayano's attention.

"What are you talking about?" She asked them. "Tell me, Ryo!"

"You don't need to know yet, Ayano." Ryo replied with a crafty smirk, which antagonized Ayano.

"Why are you freezing me out-" She was once again cut off, by Yukiya this time.

"Ayano." He called her name to get her attention. "We're happy and content here. Understand?" He said with a crafty grin.

Elsewhere in the castle, Major Oscar Hammel and Lt. Colonel Claus Warwick were having a discussion about their new arrivals inside the latter's office. Said office was a nice spacious room, which had a desk, with a chair behind it, a sofa with a table in front of it and large windows on one of the walls with a view towards the forest outside the castle.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to keep those three Elevens, I mean those Former Japanese running loose, sir?" Oscar asked his superior, standing in front of his desk.

"Has there been a problem, Major Hammel?" Claus raised an eyebrow at the major's question.

"They're criminals, who attempted to abduct General Smilas." Hammel replied.

Claus opened a can of alcohol and began to pour it in a glass. "True, under normal circumstances, they'd be felons looking at execution." He said with a lazy smile, filling his glass and putting the can to the side.

"Then we should let them be brought to justice!" Hammel retorted.

"Commander Malcal brought them here, saying she wanted to use them." The Lt. Colonel responded, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. "So, why not? General Smilas _did_ okay it." He said, as he took the glass with alcohol and took a gulp of the beverage.

"If they take any hostile action, it will be difficult to subdue them with just my special forces team." The major brought up.

A smile placed itself on Claus' lips. "Don't worry so much. The security system here is ridiculously elaborate. Besides, we need people like them here." He said, as he drank some more. "People who won't be missed if they die."

Later, the trio of Japanese were taking a casual stroll around the castle, since they didn't really have anything better to do.

"I'm sick of the simulators." Ayano complained, walking alongside her friends, as they entered a corridor with windows that let the daylight illuminate the base.

"They're comfy. They're better than that thing that spins you around." Yukiya replied, while he was doing something on his tablet.

"Yeah, you puked in that one, Ayano." Ryo made fun of his friend.

"I'm prone to motion sickness!" The dark haired girl defended herself with a pout, which made Ryo laugh.

As they were walking, something caught Yukiya's attention. He was hearing the sound of a small bell and was seeing what looked to be the paw of a cat from what looked like a crack in the stone wall. He walked over to it, the paw going inside the hole, as he crouched down to look at what was inside the hole, gaining confused looks from his friends. Through the hole, he could see a black cat with green eyes, one of its paws being white, staring back at him.

"A cat?" Yukiya thought out loud.

The cat let out a meow and went along the small space in the interior of the wall.

Yukiya rose up, gazing at the wall with a curious smile. "Oh, I get it." He said, placing his hands on his waist, his friends confused at him.

* * *

 **Aboard the Leviathan**

"Aaah, I'm so bored." Julius grumbled.

He was currently sitting on his throne in the control center of the Leviathan, leaning on his hand, as he watched the passing clouds. The travel was taking a little longer than he had hoped and the prince had found himself tired of staying on the ship. Sure, he had spent quite a lot of the time indulging himself with the fine beverages that had been taken along for the travel and training with Nonette, also having inspected the hangar of the ship to familiarize himself with the two Knightmare units currently onboard, but he had run out of things to do. The navigators of the ship were nervous in the prince's presence, coupled with the fact that he was in a bad mood.

"Hiya!" Came Nonette's energetic voice, as she entered the room, announcing her presence with a smile and wave.

"Lady Enneagram!" The navigators saluted to the Knight of the Round, who waved at them to be at ease and returned to their work.

"You seem to be happy." Julius noted, after taking a look at her.

"Sure I am." Nonette said happily, as she walked over to the prince. "I just came back from doing a practice run inside the Knightmare hangar."

"Must be nice to be happy." Julius said, sour that they had still not arrived, but then moved on to an important subject. "I still can't believe you were loaned that Knightmare by Schneizel." He said, referring to the second surprise Nonette had eluded to, back when they set off.

"Haha, yeah, quite the beauty, isn't it?" The Knight of Nine laughed. "It's a gift from Earl Asplund. He said that it should be in top condition to perform on the field, so I opted to give it a ride." She said.

"Hmph. For all the inconvenience that you cause, you coming along might actually make things a lot easier for me." He shrugged.

"You see?" Nonette said happily. "So, when will we be arriving?"

"We will be arriving at St. Petersburg's airport in roughly four days, ma'am, depending on the weather conditions." One of the navigators answered, prompting Julius to click his tongue in irritation.

"Four days is too much time." He said and stood up from his seat. "I want to be notified as soon as we near St. Petersburg's airspace." He declared and left to find something to occupy himself with, which gave the opportunity for the navigators to let out a breath that they had been holding for a while.

"Well somebody is on the impatient side of things." Nonette remarked, crossing her arms.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, Catherine Palace**

Everything was lively at the palace, since a ball was organized, courtesy to the appointment of the new Headmaster of the Knights of St. Michael. The gathered nobles were enjoying their celebration as per usual.

"May I offer my congratulations on your son's success." A blond middle-aged man with a beard, dressed in a green military uniform, said to the woman in front of him, as he took her hand and kissed it on the back. "The Shaing family's position is now secure."

The woman was Maria Shaing, the Britannian adoptive mother of Shin Hyuga Shaing. She had light brown hair and blue eyes and was dressed in a blue and white formal dress.

"Thank you, Earl Orleans." Maria smiled at her companion. "We owe it all to the late Sir Manfredi."

"Come to think of it." Earl Orleans began to look around. "Where's the party's guest of honor?" He asked, wondering where Shin had gone.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him for a while." Maria said with a smile, gaining a curious look from the Earl.

Outside the Palace was night, which was evident by the dark sky and the moonlight. Children were running around the gardens, playing with each other, while a certain group of two were staying over at the fountain.

Sitting on the edge of the fountain was a small blond girl with light blue eyes, dressed in a light red dress, who looked troubled. Standing in front of her was Shin Hyuga Shaing, who had come before the girl.

"Alice, Mother is worried." Shin said to the girl.

"I hate these parties." Alice said, not wanting to go back. "I don't know a single person at them." She then looked up at Shin and smiled. "Brother, please take me on a long drive to the coast tomorrow." She said, as she reached for his hand and grabbed it. "Promise me, brother."

Shin smiled down at her. "Tomorrow is the Order of Michael's review ceremony." He said, explaining that he wasn't able to spend time with his adopted sister.

"It is?" Alice asked disappointed.

"I won't be able to return for some time." Shin said. "But I give my word that I will spend my leave days with you, Alice." An unnoticeable dark smirk briefly crossing his lips.

"Wonderful!" Alice exclaimed happily, as she stood up.

Off to the side, Jean Rowe approached, as she silently stood off in the distance, watching over her lord and his sister.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

It was late at night at the castle and most of its inhabitants had gone to sleep. Leila Malcal, however, was not amongst them. She was standing at her desk, her desk lamp illuminating the document on which she was writing her report. Off to the side of her desk, her cat was sleeping in its bed. Then the phone rang, ruining the peaceful silence of the room and waking up the cat, prompting Leila to pick up.

"Yes?" She said, as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Sorry for calling so late, Commander." Claus Warwick's voice came through the phone. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No, I was up." Leila replied.

"Oh, you were?" Claus commented and then proceeded with the reason why he had called. "Operation orders were just delivered from HQ." His report surprising Leila. "I'll bring them over right away. You can unseal them there." He said, as an uneasy look placed itself on Leila's face.

Soon after Claus arrived and handed Leila the folders containing the operation orders. He seated himself on a chair and watched as Leila inspected the information, while he had run through his copy.

"Another damn suicide mis-." He was about to curse, but then coughed loudly to stop himself. "I mean, we've been tasked with another difficult mission, Commander Malcal." He said with a worried look. "This says that they're moving up the Warsaw garrison force, but they're for internal matters." He said, as he put away his copy in the inside pocket of his uniform. "That latest public opinion poll must've rattled the government bigwigs fiercely." He continued, as Leila watched in utter bewilderment, shocked to see that the government were expecting so much of her unit. "If they keep the eyes of the populace distracted outwards, they'll be able to cover their own butts for the time being."

Unable to take any more of the mockery, Leila slammed her fist on her desk. "Is that why they're having the Wyvern Squad drop inside enemy lines?" She yelled.

"Well, to be blunt, they're to be decoys." Claus said. "Or sacrificial pawns, I suppose."

"They don't have the manpower needed to carry out the mission!" Leila argued, her features scowling.

"You mean to say that you can't simply disobey orders?" Claus asked. "You do know that sound reasoning isn't going to help you, don't you?" He said, making Leila pull back from the argument. "I suppose you have no choice." He said, as he stood up from his seat. "If you really do want those Elevens to come back in one piece, it's the commander's duty to think of a way to make it happen." He said with a smile, after which he saluted and exited the room, leaving a worried Leila sitting in her chair, wondering how could she possibly save her unit from this predicament.

The following morning, Leila decided to consult with Akito, as she called for him to meet up with her. Leila was currently sitting at an outdoor tea table, surrounded by trees and a small lake. A tea pot and cups were placed on the table, with one of the cups already having been filled, while Leila was once again reading her tactics 101 book, as she waited for Akito to arrive. The sound of footsteps took her attention away from her book, as she glanced up to see Akito walk towards her.

"Lt. Hyuga." Leila rose up from her to seat to greet him. "Thank you for agreeing to come."

"You ordered me to come, so I came." Akito said, arriving next to the table. "There's no need for pleasantries."

"Ah. Of course, you're right." Leila said, gesturing for him to take a seat. "Please take a seat." Both of them sat down. "Would you like some tea? This tea has a lovely aroma." She said, taking the pot and pouring tea into one of the cups.

"Is this about those three?" Akito asked with a serious look, while Leila finished preparing his cup.

Leila's face turned serious. "Yes. I'd hoped to get your opinion on the matter, Lieutenant." The blond commander replied, putting down the pot, her face returning its warm smile. "Be my guest." She said, placing the filled cup in front of him.

"Do you believe they will continue to behave and go into battle, Commander?" Akito asked with his emotionless look.

"I believe they've accepted their situation." Leila stated her opinion with a serious expression.

Akito smirked briefly at her and his face returned to normal. "That's what you want to see, Commander. It isn't reality."

Leila scowled, figuring that his statement held no ground. "They can't leave here and support themselves."

Akito's eyes narrowed. "Because they are criminals… as well as Elevens?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"I only meant-" Leila tried to justify what she had said, but was cut off.

"It's alright." Akito said. "Let's speak only the unvarnished truth. I don't want to waste time. I expect that they also know what you have in mind, Commander." He continued, making Leila think about what he was saying. "In which case… you can be sure that they will rebel against you." He said, ending their conversation.

After her talk with Akito, Leila had gone off to meet with her childhood friend, who was a captain in her unit and the lead Knightmare research and developer, Anna Clement. She was slightly taller than Leila, as she had long light purple hair and bright green eyes, over which she had red framed glasses. She was dressed in the blue and red uniform of the W-0 unit, currently holding some books in hand, as she and Leila were going down on one of the elevators.

"I know about the drones." Anna said. "I admit that I prefer the idea of using unmanned machines in combat." She said, turning to look at Leila. "But I don't think current AI can live up to your expectations, Leila." Leila stood off to the side with a thinking expression and crossed arms. "They have to be able to react to their targets instantly, right?" Anna asked. "Artificial intelligence like that isn't technologically feasible now."

The elevator doors opened and the two entered the Knightmare hangar, where one of the units was on a test run, as it was wired up to take commands from computers. It was walking on a treadmill, its speed being measured.

Off to the side, two girls were sitting at the computers, working away at improving the capabilities of the machine. One of them had long black hair and pink eye, wearing glasses and the standard uniform of the W-0. She was called Hilda Fagan. The other was a shorter girl had auburn hair and green eyes, dressed in the same uniform, her name being Chloe Winkel. Both girls were assistants to Anna, who was the engineer of the Alexander unit and the current unit in testing, the Alexander Type-2.

"Being in the military is a lot tougher than I expected, right, Sgt. Hilda?" Chloe asked.

"I thought it would be a cushy civil service, Sgt. Chloe." Hilda replied.

"Cause the boss is so enthusiastic." Chloe said with a smile, referring to Anna, as she continued adjusting the settings on her computer.

"If we get to make a career of it, I wonder if we can make Technical Officer?" Hilda wondered, as she pressed a button on her computer and the Alexander transformed into insect mode and began running faster.

"We cut the time down by 0.05 seconds!" Chloe exclaimed happily.

"A new record!" Hilda said. "Looks like that 25D unit worked like a charm."

"Chloe, Hilda." Anna called out, as she and Leila walked over to them. "Is the upload complete yet?"

"Yes, Boss!" Chloe replied. "We're running the final checks now!"

"It's working really well." Hilda said. "It's all thanks to Akito's data."

"I'm glad to hear it." Anna smiled. "It looks like this will let us roll out the Type 02." She said, as she turned to look at the new Alexander, which was white with blue linings and a different helmet design from the previous models.

The rest of the day went on normally and passed. Leila was currently in her bed, dressed in her pink night gown, her cat laying on her legs, as she caressed its head. A warm smile was present on her lips, reflecting the kind person she was. Off to the side, on one of her drawers, was located Ayano's confiscated dagger, as it lay there in its sheath.

The night, however, wasn't peaceful for everyone, as Akito Hyuga woke up once more in the dead of night. He opened his eyes, their empty gaze staring off into nowhere in particular, as he got out of bed and sat down on the ground in the corner of his room, leaning his back against the wall and closing his eyes, falling asleep.

The next morning, the three Japanese were hanging around in their room, not up to anything at first look. Ryo was laying on his bed, Ayano was sitting next to the window again and Yukiya was doing something on his tablet.

"Ayano, what time is it?" Yukiya asked, looking up from his tablet, his question surprising Ayano.

"3:02." Ayano replied after checking the clock, glancing over to Yukiya nervously.

"It's 3 already?" Yukiya said, as he gave the camera monitoring their room a quick glance. "Ryo, are you hungry?" He asked, beginning their plan.

"You're hopeless." Ryo replied, getting up from his bed. "Want to head down to the cafeteria, then?" He said, as he walked over to the camera and stood in front of it to block its view.

"Nah." Yukiya said, he too standing up from his bed and walking over to a security panel in their room. "The snacks there are terrible." Ayano gave him a puzzled look, as he gave her to hold his tablet.

"Then hold out until dinner." Ryo said, prompting Yukiya to take out a knife in the next moment and forcefully open the security panel with it.

He took his tablet back from Ayano and began wiring up the cables. "Yeah, I guess I'll try to tough it out until dinner." He said and began to work away on his tablet.

"It's for the best. We have simulator training later." Ryo said, acting out their plan while waiting for Yukiya to finish. "If you eat like a pig, you'll puke." He said with his hands in his pockets.

"Got it." Yukiya muttered and then turned to his friends. "We're clear." He said.

"Attaboy, Yukiya! Now then…" Ryo exclaimed, after which he turned around and kicked the camera, breaking it in the process. "Let's get started!"

Elsewhere, Oscar Hammel entered the security control room of the castle to check on the status of the three Elevens.

"Major Hammel." One of the soldiers working under him greeted him.

"Anything unusual to report?" Hammel asked, as he walked over to the camera screens. "Don't take your eyes off the new Wyvern recruits."

"We know, sir." Said one of the soldiers. "There's been nothing new to report so far, though." As they could see the three Elevens conversing with each other in their room on the screen.

Outside the castle, Leila and Anna were having a relaxing walk in the garden.

"You've always been a workaholic, Leila." Anna said, glancing over to her friend. "You need to unwind sometimes. We can't let this beautiful garden go to waste, can we?" She stretched her arms in the air. "This feels wonderful!" She said happily, but then something caught her attention. "Hm? Look at that, Leila."

"What is it, Anna?" Leila asked, walking over to her friend.

"Up there, on the ledge." Anna pointed to the castle, where Leila's cat could be seen walking on the ledges of the walls. "Isn't that Eliza?"

"Eliza!" Leila exclaimed, worried, as she ran back for the castle to get her cat.

Meanwhile, inside the castle, the Japanese trio were proceeding with their escape plan. Ayano was curiously looking at one of the cameras, wondering if they could see her, which prompted Yukiya to explain.

"I managed to hack into the server." He said with a satisfied smile. "The security camera keeps showing us in our room." He then took out his dog tag, which also acted as identification keys and other conveniences. "Also… I tweaked the data on these." While Yukiya was explaining, Ryo was gloating and making fun of one of the cameras. "I loaded them with fake data that will let us pass through their security."

The elevator came to a stop and Leila stepped out of it, her pace quickening, as she worried for her cat's safety. "How on earth did she get out of my room?" Leila wondered.

As she walked she caught sight of Ayano walking alone through one of the corridors. Suspicious, she hid herself and observed the Japanese girl, as she turned around the corner and disappeared from sight. Leila followed after her, only to find that she had disappeared. Confused, she looked around and caught sight of what seemed like a hole in the stone wall. She went over to it to inspect it and found a secret tunnel. She decided to enter and discovered a chain of tunnels.

"There's a passage in here?" Leila asked out loud, surprised.

Meanwhile, unaware to what was going on, Akito was returning to his room, as he came back from training. He entered his room to find Yukiya sitting on his desk chair, waiting for him to arrive.

"Welcome back, Akito Hyuga." Yukiya greeted him with a dangerous smile, holding a detonator in hand, as Akito walked towards him.

"A handmade bomb, eh?" Akito asked.

"Stop right there." Yukiya said, making the blue haired Japanese stand in place, a couple of feet away from him. "Akito, you're too dangerous to live." Yukiya said. "So die with me here."

While Yukiya and Akito had their square off, Ryo and Ayano were each taking different paths to escaping the castle. Ayano had gone through the secret tunnels, while Ryo was headed towards the Knightmare Hangar. He entered it, only to find the white cockpits placed on a railing system.

"What's the deal?" He asked frustrated. "There aren't any Knightmares in here!" He got close to one of the white pods. "These are cockpits?" He wondered and looked to where the rails lead to. "They're down there, huh?" He ran for where the Knightmares were located.

Back in Akito's room, Yukiya had decided to chat with the other Japanese before he activated the detonator. "You give off the same smell as me, you know that?" He said. "Let's have a chat before we die."

"Get it over with, or the special forces squad will show up." Akito replied.

"They're not a problem." Yukiya said, as he leaned back on the chair. "They're watching a virtual reality I constructed. But enough about them." He said and pulled up his free hand. "Look at this." He used his teeth to remove the glove on his left hand, exposing a nasty scar that ran along his hand. "Look at this. Interesting, isn't it?" He asked, while Akito stared at him blandly. "I have lots of scars on my back, too. How do you think I got them?"

"I couldn't care less." Akito replied, his face showing his utter disregard for the other person.

"Don't be like that! Have a little fun!" Yukiya laughed. "You're about to die, after all." He said, but Akito continued to stare blandly at him, not showing any hint of emotion. "You're a tough audience." Yukiya let out a sigh. "Whatever, I'll throw it in free of charge." He said and pulled up his left hand again to look at it. "It was three years ago, in Amsterdam's Japanese ghetto. The adults' sense of inferiority and discomfort had also infected the youth. They preyed on those weaker than them to vent their dissatisfaction. Japanese persecuted other Japanese." Yukiya explained. "The world was better off without them, so I took care of them with a bomb." He said with a satisfied smile. "That's why I don't give a rat's ass about Japanese. About Elevens." He continued, as he recalled the memories, while Akito stared at him silently. "I escaped from the ghetto, and to avoid the police, I entered the world of the underground. That's where I met Ryo and his group. For the first time, I found friends that I could trust. I found a family." Yukiya said with a smile, but then his features turned serious. "Which is why I won't let any more of them die. I'm going to protect them."

"What makes you so sure that you won't come back if you go into battle?" Akito asked. "I did."

"That's a real mystery." Yukiya shrugged. "Some rumors say you used your squadmates as human shields."

"In that case, come with me." Akito replied. "Then you'll know for sure." He said, making Yukiya think about his proposal. "There are three of you. And only one of me."

"I hadn't thought of that." Yukiya confessed. "That's true." He laughed and threw the bombs and detonator away from himself. "Akito, you're an interesting guy." He smiled, which prompted a smirk form the blue haired soldier.

Meanwhile, Ayano had finally managed to reach the end of the tunnel and was now outside castle grounds and into the forest. "There aren't going to be any communication cables out here in the forest!" She declared, as she started making her way into the forest. "Yukiya, you jerk!" She mumbled, but the sound of footsteps alerted her to turn back and see Leila come out of the same tunnel.

"Are you returning to the castle?" She asked, walking towards Ayano. "What are the other two up to?" Ayano frowned at her questioning. "I'm on your side!" Leila tried to convince the girl.

"Gimme a break!" Ayano yelled out at her. "You're going to use us as your disposable pawns!"

"I am not!" Leila yelled back. "I've been thinking of a way to ensure that you come back-" She was cut off by Ayano.

"That's crap! You're always where it's nice and safe!" Ayano yelled again, making Leila step back. "How many have died so far?" Ayano asked. "How many Elevens have died in your operations?!" She asked again.

"I won't let anyone else die." Leila yelled, making it Ayano's turn to shut up from surprise, as the Eleven girl looked at Leila confused. "I'm going into battle with you." Leila declared.

Inside the Knightmare Hangar, Ryo was starting to run out of breath and energy, as he ran along the rails in an attempt to get to the Knightmares, his pace continuing to slow down and his pants becoming more deep.

"Damn it!" He yelled out, throwing his scarf on the ground and resumed running.

Leila was riding on her personal motorcycle, heading to Ryo's location that she received from Ayano, who had calmed down after hearing her out. As she drove along the forest path, a call came on her intercom.

"Yes?" She picked up.

"Do you read me, Commander? It's Lt. Col. Warwick." Claus said over the coms.

"What is it?" Leila asked.

"I see that you're on your way to the launch site." Claus noted. "Has anything happened with the Elevens?" He asked.

"No, nothing." Leila stated firmly.

"About that, ma'am. Our monitor feed from their room just cut out all of a sudden." He said.

"I know what caused it." Leila replied, which surprised Claus.

"You do, ma'am?" He asked.

"I'll explain later. I need to hang up." She said.

"Ma'am, wait-" Leila ended the call and sped up.

Out of breath and reaching his destination, Ryo came to a stop before a strange looking rocket. "What the hell is that?" He asked, as he took a look at it. "Wait, this is a-" His deduction was cut off by Leila's voice coming from behind him.

"An ultra-long range, extra-atmospheric transport." She said, as Ryo turned around to look at her walking towards him from one of the entrances. "We'll conduct commando raids by using this new weapon to drop behind enemy lines."

Ryo turned to look at the rocket. "Ah, I get it." He then noticed strange looking white and blue machines placed inside the pods of the rocket. "Those are Knightmares?" He asked. "You expect us to fly off in that and die, huh?"

"Since this is a war, returning alive will never be a 100% certainty." Leila said. "Nevertheless, I'd like us all to return safely."

" _Us_?" Ryo quoted her mockingly. "Are you saying that you're coming along?"

"Yes." Leila replied, which made Ryo laugh at her, while her serious expression showed her unwavering determination.

"If you really mean that, you either have a naïve personality or are a fool." Ryo told her.

"As the one who proposed this operation, I intend to fulfil my obligation to ensure that everyone comes home safely." Leila said. "I don't believe that to be foolish." She replied.

"Hmph." Ryo scoffed at her statement and narrowed his eyes at her. "Mark my words, you'll regret it."

Later the W-0 unit had assembled, as a briefing of their next operation's details was taking place. Everyone was seated, as they listened to Claus explaining the mission.

"This op, Operation Gamma, is to assist the main EU force that's stationed in Warsaw." Claus said, as the screen behind him showcased the data. "They will march on Area 24A of the Eastern front." He explained, as a map was shown on the screen. "Our Wyvern squad will drop behind the Britannian forces that are deployed in that area and conduct a commando raid." He continued. "This will throw the enemy into disarray and the 103rd Corps will make a frontal attack."

"You expect us to drop right into the enemy's lap?" Ryo asked with a smug expression, while Yukiya sat next to him with a sarcastic smile.

"This certainly sounds like an op that uses Elevens." Yukiya added with the same attitude as Ryo.

"Don't be so pessimistic." Claus said with a smile. "If you meet up with the advancing 103rd, you'll come home safe."

"With enemy forces on all directions?" Ryo mocked.

"We have to live that long first." Yukiya said.

"You Former Japanese sure are negative Nellies." Claus said, but then a smile placed itself on his lips. "Then, allow me to deliver slightly happier news." He said and gestured to Leila, who was standing beside him. "The commander herself will take part in this operation."

The news surprised most of the people present, while Ryo and Yukiya narrowed their eyes at their would be commander. Anna, however, wasn't pleased in the slightest.

She rose from her seat with a worried expression. "Leila, are you serious?" She asked, concerned for her friend's safety.

"A commando raid will be ineffective, unless sufficient troops are committed." Leila said. "Unfortunately, we only have a handful of personnel to allocate to this operation. To bolster those numbers, I've decided to employ drones." Leila explained, while Anna was growing more and more worried. "However, an operator is needed to control those drones. For that reason, I am going to go into battle with you."

Ayano gazed judgingly at Leila, as she then moved her gaze to Akito, who had placed his hands on his desk, his hair covering his eyes from the point of view she was looking at him. She could swear she saw a smirk to appear on his face, which really unsettled her.

The briefing was wrapped up and everyone went to prepare for the operation.

* * *

 **United Republica of Europia, Eastern Front Forces, Front Line Command**

"An order's been issued for all forces to prepare for battle, eh?" One of the three gathered commanders said.

"We begin our advance one hour after Apollo's Chariot launches." Said another.

"Well, our duty is to just carry out the orders of Joint Staff HQ." The third one said. "Make sure to not go above and beyond the letter of the orders."

"We shouldn't be made to take the fall for it if the operation fails." One of the others said, all of them having no intention to properly support the W-0, wanting to save face if worst came to be. Such was the world of the EU.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf, Launchsite**

The five pilots were ready, dressed in their blue and red pilot suits. They entered their respective cockpits, which then closed and drove along the railway that led to the Knightmares. Once reaching the end, a mechanical crane delivered and attached the pods to the Knightmares. Everyone was prepared for what was to come.

Ayano was still unsettled by Akito, as she recalled his creepy smile back at the briefing. "That guy, he…!" She was cut off by Ryo's speaking over the coms.

"Ayano, you should catch some sleep." He told her. "It's not like we'll have anything to do for a while."

"You have a point." Yukiya said. "And if you're asleep, you won't be afraid when you die." He said, as Leila listened to their conversation, offset by his words somewhat.

Akito, however, wasn't interested in their conversation one bit, as true to Yukiya's statement, he was sound asleep, his arms crossed across his chest and his head slightly tilted down, patiently waiting for the fight to come.

At the base in the castle, the whole unit was at their station, with Claus being at the helm, since Leila wasn't present.

"T-minus one minute to liftoff. Activate drive batteries. Flight mode on." Said Olivia Reuel. She was an Operator who worked for the W-0. She was a blond girl with purple eyes, that had originally been in the Europia United Army.

The rocket began to get into position for lift off. Inside, Ryo and Yukiya were eagerly anticipating the lift off, while Ayano was somewhat nervous. Leila, on the other hand, stared seriously, mentally preparing herself. Akito opened his eyes, as the countdown reached 10 and below.

"All systems ready to launch!" Sarah Danes informed Claus. She was another Operator working with the W-0, that had tan skin, long curly purple hair and dark blue eyes. "Main engine start!"

The rocket's thrusters ignited, leaving a giant trail of smoke behind itself, as it flew off into the sky. Inside, the pilots could feel the rapid rising in altitude, as the machine rattled inside. This was it, they were off to battle.

"Go, baby, go…" Claus smiled, as he clenched his fist.

The rocket continued to rise steadily, as it ascended higher and higher into the atmosphere.

"Altitude, 108km. Velocity, 2.2km/s." Olivia reported. "Apollo's Chariot is continuing to fly smoothly."

The rocket reached maximum altitude, as it broke through the atmosphere and stopped ascending.

"Primary engines burn complete! Separate first stage rocket!" Sarah added.

Inside the rocket, Leila was monitoring their current status. "Altitude, 255km. Velocity, 5.6km/s." She said, as the rocket travelled across the globe to reach its destination.

"Apollo's Chariot secondary engine burn complete!" Sarah announced.

The rocket came to a free glide, as it reached its optimal altitude. In view were the Earth, the moon, and the countless stars of the infinite universe.

"Inertial guidance operating properly." Olivia reported.

Claus let out a relieved sigh. "Now here comes the hard part."

Inside their cockpits, the five pilots activated the viewing cameras so they could take a look at the outside. The view they received was astonishing as they saw the blue and green planet that was their home.

Leila was moved by the beauty of the world she saw, but then had to get her info pad, as it began floating in the cabin, due to the fact that they were now in a zero-gravity environment.

Ryo cracked his knuckles, as he gazed at the Earth. "This isn't too bad as last sights go." He said.

"To think there are people down there…" Yukiya said, as a grin settled on his face. "I wish I could squash them."

"It's beautiful." Ayano said, as she marveled at their planet. She had never seen it like that, in its pure and unrefined beauty, making her think of how small the matters of humans truly were.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, Base of the Knights of St. Michael**

At the castle that served as the base of the Knights of St. Michael, a very bored Ashley Ashra was desperately trying to find something to entertain himself with.

"Bored, bored…" He complained to his Ashra squad. "How long are we gonna have to stay cooped up in this misty dump?!" He yelled out, as he stomped on the lion skin carpet. "Johanne!" he yelled out the name of one of his subordinates.

Johanne Fabius was a Knight of St. Michael in Ashley's unit. He wore the normal uniform of a member of the Knights of St. Michael with red and white robes and had blond hair and blue eyes.

"Yes, Master Ashley!" Johanne nervously stepped out of the line that he and the rest of the Ashra Strike Force had formed.

Ashley sighed, as he opened the barrel of his revolver and emptied it of bullets. All of his subordinates watched, as the bullet shells fell on the floor.

Ashley took out a single bullet and inserted it into the barrel. "We have some time on our hands," He said and closed the barrel of his revolver, after which he rolled it, so no one could know if the bullet was in position for firing. "so let's play a little game." He said with a smirk.

The orange haired knight stood up from his throne. "Johanne, to survive on the battlefield, what is the one thing you need to have?" He asked, as he walked over to his subordinate.

"T-The skill to emerge victorious." Johanne replied nervously.

Ashley sighed in disappointment. "What's with that lame answer?" He said, as a smile then placed itself on his lips and he took aim at Johanne, making the poor Knight stutter. "Listen closely. The absolutely crucial thing on a battlefield is luck." He said, as all of his subordinates stared surprised at him. "Even with skill and effort, when you happen to lose, you lose and you die. Why is that? Because you didn't have any luck." He said, as he kept his aim at Johanne. "But I'm not like that. I'll show you the proof right now." He said, as he put the barrel of his revolver next to his head with a confident smile, which made all of his subordinates to worry for their leader's safety.

"Master Ashley! Please stop!" Johanne attempted to convince him not to do it, but Ashley did not listen, as he slowly pulled the trigger and his eyes widened in anticipation.

A second later, the clicking sound of the barrel echoed throughout the room. Everyone watched almost horrified from surprise, while Ashley stared back at them with a joyous grin.

"See? I won't die." He said, retracting the pistol from his head.

"Pathetic." A female voice was heard, as its owner entered the room, prompting Ashley to turn around, offended. Jean Rowe entered the room and looked at the Ashra Strike Force commander. "To think that you believe in luck." She said, as she walked towards him. "I wouldn't have pegged you as a romantic, Ashley Ashra."

"Jean Rowe!" Ashley recognized the arrival, as he then took aim at her. "Okay, then, I'm gonna check to see if you have any luck!" He declared, as he took aim straight at her forehead. Jean didn't flinch, while Ashley chuckled. "How about it? Feeling confident?" He asked.

"This is bad. Private disputes are punishable by death!" Another of Ashley's subordinates spoke.

"Please stop this, Master Ashley!" Johanne begged his commander.

"Stay back!" Ashley ordered. "Stay where you are and watch. See what Jean's luck is like." He said, as he started slowly pulling the trigger again, while Jean just stood motionless in front of him.

Once again, his eyes widened in anticipation, as his finger came to the end of the pull, the empty clicking noise sounding once more throughout the room. The members of Ashley's squadron let out a heavy breath they had been holding from the moment they saw him pull the trigger.

Jean continued to stare at Ashley, which made him click his tongue in disappointment. "Tch. Looks like you have a pretty healthy dose of luck yourself." He said, as he pulled his gun away.

"That's enough of your stupid games." Jean said, as she walked over to him.

"But I always get bored in places like this!" Ashley exclaimed, handing his revolver for Johanne to take it.

"In that case, you won't be bored for long." Jean said. "Lord Shaing wants to see you, Ashley Ashra."

Her statement made Ashley turn to look at her with a lit fire in his eyes, his anticipation for action growing more by the second. "My Ashra Force is going into battle!" He declared proudly.

* * *

 **W-0 base**

Everyone was busy working at their stations, monitoring the rocket's status.

"Thirty seconds to fairing separation." Reported Olivia.

"This is gonna work…" Claus said with a worried expression and crossed arms. "I hope."

"Leila…" Anna placed her hands together and prayed for her friend's safety.

The rocket's outer hull detached, clearing the way for the pods containing the Alexanders.

"System shows all clear!" Sarah reported. "Commencing separation!"

The pods disassembled from the rocket and began their descent towards the Earth. Inside their Knightmares, the pilots were preparing for landing.

"Capsule separation confirmed." Leila informed the others, as she checked the info on her screen. "System activation confirmed. All units show green."

"Finally…" Yukiya muttered in anticipation.

"We're falling from 300 kilometers, Ayano!" Ryo said over the coms, thrilled, unlike his female companion, who was worried sick.

"I know that!" She replied.

In his cockpit, Akito gazed at the Earth with narrowed eyes and crossed arms, patiently waiting for their descent, as Leila's report came. "20 seconds to reentry!" The blue haired Japanese grabbed hold of the controls and braced himself.

Pulled by the gravity field of the Earth, the five pods reentered the Atmosphere at terminal velocity, falling like meteors. Inside the pods, the air pressure wasn't making things easy, combined with the hellish increase in temperature. Having reentered, the pods disassembled and let the Knightmares freefall, as they deployed their gliding wings.

"Wing deployment successful!" Leila reported, he Knightmare steadily slowing down its speed and continuing its decent.

Ryo's Knightmare was spinning randomly while falling, which made it harder for the Japanese teen to deploy his wings, but eventually managed, bringing the freefall to a halt and letting out a victorious laugh. "Got it! This is a piece of cake!"

Ayano deployed her wings, much to her relief. "They opened!"

"Did it!" Yukiya followed suite.

Akito's Knightmare had already deployed its wings and was gaining up on the others, eventually passing them, the drone Knightmares following after him. Their landing point came into view, making all pilots brace themselves.

The drones detached their wings and landed on the ground nicely, continuing their advance towards their objective, which couldn't be said about Leila, who was starting to experience some trouble with the turbulence.

"I'm being blown off course!" She exclaimed, as the wind threw her Knightmare slightly to the side and into the forest of trees, making the wings crash into them and break, leaving the Knightmare to roll down and fall the rest of the way.

"Everything went smoothly in the simulation…" Leila grumbled about her current predicament, as she steadied her Alexander and the drones passed by her. "All drones confirmed!" She reported to the others. "Warrant officers Sayama, Naruse and Kosaka, report your location."

Just as she said that, Akito's Alexander tackled hers away from incoming gunfire, which was courtesy to the other three Elevens. Akito's Alexander aimed its Linear Assault Rifle at the incoming crawling Alexander, which was firing its machine gun at him.

"In a war, sometimes the commander gets killed first, you know?" Ryo, the pilot of the afore mentioned Knightmare, said with a smirk, as he activated the rocket launchers on his Alexander.

Akito dodged the thermo rockets and shot them down with his gun. Leila rolled to the side of the blasts and spoke to Akito over the coms. "Lt. Hyuga! Make sure you capture them unharmed!" She ordered.

"I'm not sure I can." Akito replied.

Inside the W-0 base, confirmation came that all Alexanders had landed safely.

"Safe landing of all Wyverns confirmed! Beginning deploy- Huh?" Sarah said, but then stopped herself, noticing an abnormality on her screen.

"They're already exchanging fire?" Olivia asked, noticing the same information, the confrontation clearly being unexpected.

"Have they been spotted already?" Claus asked, as he checked his screen.

Off to the side, Hilda and Chloe, who were monitoring the Alexander's conditions, noticed something very troubling. "Isn't this friendly fire?" Chloe asked.

"It sure seems that way from this telemetry." Hilda replied.

Ryo's Knightmare was chasing after Akito, who was driving further into the forest. "Yukiya, target Hyuga from behind!" Ryo told his friend, as he continued chasing after Akito.

Yukiya's Alexander combined a gun barrel to its linear assault rifle, forming a sniper. "It's kind of a waste to kill him here, isn't it?" Yukiya said, as he took aim at Akito's Alexander which was dodging incoming fire from Ryo's Knightmare.

"Lt. Hyuga!" Leila worried about the blue haired teen, but then noticed danger indicated on her screen and dodged to the side, the gunfire impacting the trees where she had once stood.

"Yukiya, what are you doing?!" Ayano complained, as her Knightmare charged towards were Ryo was engaging Akito, opening fire at the white and red Alexander. "Hurry!"

"Fine, fine…" Yukiya said, as he reloaded, but then saw the incoming threat.

Akito's Alexander rolled to the side, while Ryo was almost caught by the incoming blast which fell down and blew his Knightmare to the side. The forest was being bombarded in the general area where the five Alexanders were located, as explosions resounded one after the other.

Alerts began to pop up on Claus' screen, which surprised him. "Huh? What's all this?" He said, as he tried to understand what was going on. "Could somebody tell me what's going on?"

"It's probably enemy bombardment!" Said Olivia. "Multiple heat sources!" Reported Sarah. "Shells impacting at the Wyverns' drop point!"

"Seriously? Where's the fire coming from?" Claus asked.

"Large caliber cannons not detected! High-altitude observation balloon data lost! I've lost Wyvern squad's coordinates!" One of the officers exclaimed in worry, as she began trying to pinpoint their location.

"Can't you do a trajectory calculation?" Claus asked.

"Calculation complete! 500 kilometers to the north-east!" Sarah reported.

"500 kilometers?!" Claus gulped down nervously. "Sarah, are you sure you ran those numbers right?"

"I'm sure! They're correct!" The operator replied.

"So they're using ultra-long range cannons, huh?" Claus said worried, as he checked his screen. "Our Britannian buddies had a clever idea, too, didn't they?" He said, as he scratched the back of his head.

Giant mortars were placed on the planes, each guarded by a squadron of Sutherlands, as the cannons continued they bombardment on their target location. The shots were incredibly loud and sent shockwaves each time the cannons fired. The shells impacted the forest, exploding in the process. The Alexanders and the drones entered their highly mobile insect mode and made a run for it, to evade the bombardment, though some of the drones were caught in the blasts.

As she and the others continued their advance, Leila checked their coordinates. "If we bear north-west, we'll be clear of the impact zone." She said.

They resumed their course, but then ran into a squadron of a fifth generation Knightmare frame used by Euro Britannia, the Liverpool. It was an unmanned green machine, which was a turret attached on legs. The Liverpools opened fire, destroying two of the drones, but Akito engaged them and made quick work of them with his rifle.

"A Britannian Knightmare squad, huh?" He noted, as he was then intercepted by a Sutherland which opened fire at him. He dodged the gunfire and jumped in the air, his stake shaped tonfas deployed, and plunged his weapon through the enemy unit's cockpit, killing its pilot, as the Sutherland dropped to the ground.

Akito was about to pull out his tonfa, but then another Sutherland ambushed him from behind, which was about to open fire at him, only for it to be taken down by a sniper round. Akito pulled out his tonfa and turned to face Ryo's Alexander.

"I'll settle things with you once we've made it out of here alive!" Ryo declared over the coms.

"I wish you'd make up your mind." Yukiya sighed, as he took aim with his sniper at another approaching Sutherland and fired at its cockpit, destroying the enemy unit. "Ayano! Try to keep up!" Told his friend, as he and her engaged the insect mode of their Alexanders and moved to catch up with the others.

Far in the distance, a Britannian G3 mobile base had been deployed and was serving as the control room for their forces. Its commander, Shin Hyuga Shaing, was pleased that the EU troops had attacked like he had anticipated them to, as he sat on his seat with his arms and legs crossed.

"As you predicted, Lord Hyuga, the Ghost of Hannibal are now headed towards Slonim." Jean Rowe reported to her commander.

"And Ashley and his team?" Shin asked.

"In position, as per your orders." Jean replied.

Shin stood up from his seat and walked forward. "Jean, prepare my Vercingetorix." He said.

"You're going to go into battle yourself, sir?" Jean asked her commander, surprised.

Shin's eyes narrowed, as a smirk placed itself on his lips. "I want to see who these ghosts are with my own two eyes."

Back with the Wyvern squad, the group had successfully arrived at Slonim, a Euro Britannian city, and were advancing along the streets. The drones spread out, controlled by Leila to cover more ground. They scanned the area, but were unable to detect anything. Furthermore, there were no people to be seen. It was as if they had walked into a ghost town.

"Why is it empty?" Leila asked, concerned.

Ryo and his friends gathered in front of the police station and disengaged from insect mode, bringing out their Knightmares' weapons. "This isn't good. This place gives me the creeps." Ryo said.

"I think it's gonna be fun." Yukiya replied, readying his sniper rifle.

"Nothing good ever comes out of it, when you say 'fun', Yukiya." Ayano complained, as she looked around her surroundings.

Inside his own Alexander, Akito was accompanying Leila, while they scouted the perimeter. The blue haired Eleven kept a sharp eye out for any possible indications of an ambush.

Leila pressed the control deployment of the drones, turning on the manual system. "Drone deployment confirmed." She said to the others. "All that's left now is-" She cut herself off, because one of the video feeds from the drones suddenly lost signal. "An ambush?!"

Akito positioned his Knightmare in front of Leila's and took out his riffle. "Commander, don't leave my side." He said, readying his gun.

"Lt. Hyuga!" Leila smiled, happy that she had the support of her lieutenant.

"We need to ensure that you don't die, before all your drones are used up." Akito said coldly, his eyes narrowing, as they scoured the terrain around him for any possible incoming threats.

Leila blushed, disappointed from his response, thinking how stupid it was of her to think that Akito cared about her. "Understood." She replied sourly. "I'll do my best to make it home alive with the rest of you."

The drones engaged the enemy, which revealed itself to be a squadron of customized red and white Gloucesters, with red capes and golden ornaments, each equipped with a set of two blades. The Gloucesters effortlessly carved through the drones, as they continued their assault.

"These are the Ghost of Hannibal?" Rene Laurent gloated. He was a dark skinned young man with short red hair and purple eyes, dressed in a red and black pilot uniform.

An explosion erupted nearby Ryo's group, alerting them to the enemy's position. "Uh-oh, it's the enemy!" Ryo said, as he and his friends prepared themselves for combat.

The Gloucesters continued to slice the drones. Kuzan Montoban, a bald man with a blue tattoo on his forehead and dark yellow eyes, who was another member of Ashley's squadron, checked one of the destroyed Knightmares, only to find out that it wasn't manned.

"This is a-. There are drones mixed in with the Ghost of Hannibal!" Kuzan informed his teammates, as he got a look at his camera feed.

Yukiya and Ayano got in position, the latter of the two taking aim with his sniper. "There's no sign of the enemy." Ayano said, looking around.

"They're close." Yukiya replied, keeping an eye out, as in the next instant, the danger signal alarmed on his screen. "Ayano, above you!" He yelled out, alerting his comrade.

The dark haired girl looked to see one of the customized Gloucesters jump down from the roof of the building that was in front of her and made to slash her Knightmare in half with his sword. Ayano dodged back, entering insect mode to dodge the incoming fire from the enemy unit's submachine gun. Returning to normal mode, she made to open fire with her riffle, but the enemy unit charged her and slashed the gun away from her, knocking her down on the ground. Standing up, she took out her Bee Shop Longray Sword and began to exchange blows with the enemy unit.

"Rene, Franz! I've located the Ghost of Hannibal!" Jan informed his squadmates, but then backed away from incoming fire. Another of Ashley's subordinates, he had purple hair and wore a pair of dark reddish glasses. He turned to see two drones firing at him and moved in to disable them, effortlessly cutting them down.

Smoke from the destroyed drones began to fill the air, as Johanne reported to his commander. "Master Ashley! Most of the enemy Knightmares are drones!"

Ashley was sitting in his cockpit, greatly bored and annoyed. "The reality of the Ghost of Hannibal doesn't live up to the hype." He said, with his arms and legs crossed, starting to play with his braid. He was dressed in his own custom red and black uniform, which had golden insignias all over it.

"Enemy units heading your way, Master Ashley!" Johanne said over the comms.

Ashley, hearing this, stopped playing with his hair and smiled deviously. "I was getting sick of waiting!"

Akito was currently busy exchanging fire with one of the enemy units, using the corner of a building as cover. "Commander, can you call the drones over here?" He asked.

"The remaining three-, two, drones are currently engaging the enemy." Leila replied.

"We'll force our way through, then." Akito said, surprising Leila. "Stick close to me." He said and charged ahead, followed by Leila.

"Lt. Hyuga!" Leila yelled, wanting him to wait and not make such rash decisions, only for the two of them to stop.

"Commander!" Akito alerted her, taking place in front of her Knightmare. Looking directly at them, standing on top of a church, a purely red-clad customized Gloucester was waiting. "Commander, get clear." Akito told her, aiming at the enemy unit with his riffle.

"A red Knightmare…" Leila gasped, seeing the threat.

The Gloucester took out its swords, ready for battle. "Okay, let's get to killing!" Ashley smiled enthusiastically, activating his land spinners and driving along the roofs of the buildings, dropping down to strike at Akito's Alexander.

Akito dodged, discarding his riffle and equipping his tonfas to engage the red unit in close combat. Ashley blocked one of his attacks and gave one of his own, but the smaller Knightmare dodged.

"I see the other one!" Ashley declared over the coms, as he continued to engage his fight with Akito.

The Alexander jumped, attempting to sledgehammer the Gloucester with its tonfas, but the red Knightmare blocked with its swords and backed away, only to charge again and to clash with the white unit.

Standing to the side, Leila was struggling to take aim at the Gloucester and not hit Akito in the process. "Lt. Hyuga…" She grunted, as she concentrated on her task, only to hear disturbing muttering over the coms.

"Die… Die…"

Leila was surprised, as she continued to hear it, furthermore, it was coming from Akito. "Die…" she heard it again, as Akito's Alexander jumped and performed a spinning slash, which was dodged by Ashley.

"Master Ashley!" Johanne arrived with his unit to assist his commander and engaged the white Knightmare, clashing swords with it, but was pushed back.

"Die!" Akito yelled out, the red circles around his eyes being present once again, which, unknown to him, alerted a certain person.

"What?" Ayano asked, as she felt a strange sensation, an image of a red bird like sigil flashing in her mind.

"What was that?!" Ryo panicked, having the same experience.

"Akito?" Yukiya asked, seeing the same thing as the others.

* * *

Back at the W-0 base, a strange abnormality appeared on Sophie Randle's screen, which was monitoring the nervous system of all of the pilots.

"What's causing this spike?" She asked, bewildered.

* * *

"Die!" Akito charged at another of the customized Gloucesters, pushing it back with each hit. "Die! Die!"

Struggling to keep his ground, Simon Mericourt, a young man with long black hair and purple eyes, attempted to strike at the berserk unit. "The Ashra Force won't be beaten by the likes of you!" He yelled out.

"Die!" Akito yelled out, as he cleaved off one of the arms of the Gloucester.

At another location on the battlefield, the shared neural system implemented into the Alexanders began to have a strange effect on the other three Japanese pilots, as each of them had the same red circles around their eyes and their behavior on battle had become berserk, just like Akito.

"Die!" Ayano yelled, as she charged the enemy unit she was facing and kicked its rifle away, after which she clashed swords with it. She backed up, inverting the grip of her blade, and delivered a strong hit, which knocked the sword of the enemy unit away, but then backed away to dodge the incoming fire of another Gloucester that came to support its ally.

Waging his own fight, Ryo was in the same condition as the others, as he attacked the enemy. "Die!" He yelled, making his Knightmare jump in the air and strike with his unit's axe.

The Gloucester blocked the incoming attacks, but was consistently pushed back, until it crashed through the wall of a building, continuing the battle inside, as the white and blue Alexander continued its assault.

"Are these things real Ghosts?" Alan Necker, a young man with teal bowl cut hair and gray eyes, asked in fear, as he was losing the fight.

Ryo kicked the enemy's weapon away and proceeded to tear apart the cockpit. "Die!" He yelled out, maniacally.

* * *

At the W-0 base, Sophie and her team were working to find out the reason behind the strange spike in the synchronized nervous patterns between the four Japanese.

"Check the values of all pilots' neural devices, Kate!" Sophie instructed, as she oversaw her subordinates' work.

"There's a signal backflow in Sayama, Naruse and Kosaka's neuro devices!" Kate Novak replied, checking her screen. She, a young woman with pinkish purple hair and blue eyes, was a medical subordinate under Sophie Randle.

"They brainwaves of all four have begun to synch." Sophie noted, as she pulled up the info on her own screen. "They're networked?"

* * *

On the battlefield, Yukiya was having a blast. "Die!" He yelled and shot with his sniper, the rounds going through the building in front of him and taking out one of the legs of the Gloucester that was chasing another of the Alexanders. "I can see you!" Yukiya said maniacally.

Knowing that his Knightmare was a goner, Kuzan ejected his cockpit to safety, right before it before his unit was shot by sniper rounds in the energy filler and exploded.

Still waging her battle, Ayano severed one of the hands of the Knightmares she was fighting. "Die!" She yelled, as she chased after the retreating Gloucester.

"What are these things?!" Jan asked, taken aback by the wild fighting style of his enemy.

* * *

Sophie was having trouble identifying the cause of the neural devices' acting up, as she speeded through information on her screen, but then stopped to look at the status of the four pilots. "Ferilli! Kate! Can you confirm on your end?" She asked her subordinates.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ferilli Baltrow replied. She was a woman with short dark green hair and yellowish orange eyes. "Confirmed! And you?" She asked Kate.

"No doubt about it!" Replied the other girl, but then realized something. "But wait… Doesn't this mean that they are synching with Akito?"

"Joe Wise!" Sophie ordered him to report thing on his end.

"Give me a minute." The chubby man said.

Confused by what was going on with the science department of the unit, Claus turned to the head doctor. "Um, what's going on, Dr. Randle?" He asked.

"Ask me later!" Sophie sharply replied, scaring Claus. "Joe Wise, get me data!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Joe replied and transferred the information to his superior's computer.

* * *

On the battlefield, Akito's Alexander was running along the walls of the buildings in pursuit of the red Gloucester, jumping in the air and clashing blades with Ashley's Gloucester. The red Knightmare pushed back the smaller one, as it landed on the ground and charged again, their weapons clashing once more.

"The Ashra Force can't beat a bunch of European pipsqueaks?!" Ashley said, adrenaline getting to his head and struggling to get the upper hand in the fight, as he attempted to slash the Alexander but it jumped over him, striking from behind, which prompted the orange haired commander to block with his sword.

Standing on the roof a tall building were a golden Knightmare and a silver one, the Gracchus, a modified Sutherland, which was the personal unit for Jean Rowe. The golden Knightmare, on the other hand, was the first 6th generation Euro Britannia developed model, which belonged to Shin Hyuga Shaing, the Vercingetorix.

Previously known as The Sagramore, The Vercingetorix was decorated in golden armor, with red accents throughout. The Knightmare had a transformation mode where an extra set of legs, located under the cockpit, could switch with the primary legs, that would then move to the end of the cockpit, which also slid down to hip level. In that mode the Knightmare gained high mobility, making it move faster than by using the standard land propulsion system it also had equipped. It stood watching the battlefield, with its SDA axe in hand.

"The Ashra Force's formation is breaking down." Jean said, standing on the shoulder of her Knightmare, watching the ongoing battles. "By lowly European Knightmares… What cowards."

"Jean, you talk too much." Shin's voice came over the coms, making Jean remember that he was there.

"My apologies, Lord Hyuga." She said.

"Those Knightmares are most interesting." Shin said. "Do you see what I see, Jean?"

"No, I'm not quite…" Jean replied, confused.

Inside his cockpit, Shin, dressed in his own custom white and red pilot uniform, watched the unfolding of the battles with great interest and anticipation. "I sense it…" He said, his left eye having lost its green color and instead possessed a vibrant reddish purple and a red Geass sigil, which then faded away, returning his eye to normal. "So you're alive."

Akito's Alexander continued to unrelentingly assault Ashley's Gloucester. "This is bad!" Ashley said, the thrill of the battle getting over him, as he locked weapons with the enemy unit a couple more times. "This guy is dangerous!" He laughed, as he dodged the leaping Alexander of Akito, but then deflected the blade of Ayano's unit that had entered the battle and pushed her away.

In the next moment, Ashley found himself flanked by another enemy unit, which was carrying a sniper rifle, prompting the orange haired soldier to drive down a back alley. Yukiya, in turn, got into position and engaged his sniper.

As he drove down the alley, which was a tight fit for his Knightmare, Ashley looked back at the Alexanders behind him. "This is not good! Those guys are dangerous!" He smiled.

At another location in the town, Leila was by herself, trying to get in contact with any of the others. "Lt. Hyuga! Please respond! Someone!" She yelled over the coms. "W.O. Kosaka! W.O. Naruse! W.O. Sayama!" She called their names, but no one answered, making the commander worried. "Someone answer me!"

* * *

At their stations, Sophie and her team were concentrated on monitoring the neural states of the four pilots, worrying for their well-being and wondering about the strange phenomenon that had occurred.

"Mental clouding intensifying!" Ferilli reported. "If this keeps up, their ego boundaries will break down!"

"Akito's nervous system is co-opting those of Sayama, Naruse, and Kosaka via their neuro devices. A brain raid." Sophie noted, intrigued that these four unrelated Japanese could achieve such a remarkable feat of science.

* * *

On the battlefield, Akito was trashing Simon's Knightmare. "I'm taking a pounding!" Simon grunted, surprised that the enemy was so strong, as his Knightmare's legs were cut down.

In the next moment, another member of the Ashra Force came to assist him, providing cover fire, making the berserk Alexander take a few steps back.

"Simon, eject!" Franz Vallo told his teammate, since his Knightmare was severely damaged. He was a muscular man with light brown hair and pale green eyes.

"Franz!" Simon recognized his comrade's voice and activated the ejection system of his cockpit.

"We're not about to lose to inferiors like you!" Franz declared, as he charged Akito's Alexander.

Akito slashed Franz's sword to the side and jumped in the air performing a spinning slash with his tonfas. "Die!" He yelled, but his attack was blocked by the enemy unit and jumped back, dodging the incoming fire from the Gloucester's submachine gun.

"Damn monster!" Franz yelled, as he continued to fire at the Alexander that dodged his bullets in its insect mode, jumping from side to side, as it then leapt to strike him.

The two Knightmares clashed their weapons, but Akito took out one of his wrist mounted Urana Edge Knives and planted it into the right shoulder of Franz's Gloucester, tearing the arm off.

"He's tough…" Franz grunted, as he backed away.

Akito made to charge at Franz for the final time, but was intercepted by Ashley. "You damn angel of death!" He yelled, as he pushed Akito and then exchanged blows with the smaller Knightmare, which kicked him away, sending him crashing into the wall of a building. Ashley activated his Slash-Harkens, which attached to the edge of the roof and started climbing up the wall, followed by the Alexander in its insect mode.

The two Knightmares then continued to jump from roof to roof in a game of cat and mouse, with the Alexander unrelentingly chasing after the red Gloucester. The two clashed swords once more, but this time, Akito slashed the sword away from Ashley and kicked the Britannian unit down the roof, making it land roughly on the ground. Ashley, however, quickly steadied his Knightmare, only to see Akito come charging at him.

"You aren't a Ghost!" Ashley said, as he went over to where his sword had landed and picked it up. "You're either a demon or an angel of death!" He said, as he continued to clash blades with the fast and nimble Knightmare.

"Die!" Akito yelled, as he kicked the blocking Gloucester back. "Die!" He delivered a heavy hit to the enemy unit, making it fall down on the ground. "Die!" He said, taking out one of the wrist knives and lunging his Knightmare's armed hand for Ashley's cockpit.

Sweat dropped from Ashley's face, as he realized his end was coming. In the next instant, Johanne's Knightmare entered the scene, jumping in front of his commander's downed unit.

"Master Ashley!" Johanne yelled, coming to the rescue of his commander, making his Knightmare act as a shield for the blow. The Urana Edge Knife went straight through the hull of the cockpit and ran through Johan's abdomen, spilling blood and organ tissue everywhere.

Ashley watched in horror the scene before him, not wanting to believe what just happened. "J-Johanne?" Ashley called his subordinate and friend's name, shocked to his core.

"Master Ashley…" Johanne gathered the last bit of breath in his lungs, before he passed out from the huge blade in his body. "Good luck to you." He said and fell forward, passing out dead.

Akito's Alexander pulled out the knife from the cockpit and took a few steps back, its movement pattern becoming sluggish, until it collapsed on its knees, dropping its weapons. Inside, Akito stood frozen with fear, as sweat dripped from his face and a familiar voice rang in his head.

"Die, Akito." Said the voice, as Akito stared wide eyed.

However, Akito wasn't the only one hearing the voice, as the other three Japanese pilots too heard it, totally creeped out by it.

"Who is it?" Ayano asked, afraid, as she then saw a strange scene play out in her mind.

It was the same room filled with corpses that Akito knew too well, the presence of the two blue haired boys also being the same. The older one watched the little one slowly stand up, with surprise.

"Why are you still alive?" The older boy asked.

"Big brother…" The little boy, young Akito, said, slowly walking towards his older brother.

The older sibling smiled sinisterly, as his left eye glowed with a red symbol in it. "Die!" He ordered.

"What the hell is this?!" Ryo asked, spooked, seeing the same thing that the others were.

"That kid, it's-" Yukiya was shocked to recognize the small child.

In the next instant, the neural link between the four was cut and Ayano felt sick to her stomach by what she saw, putting her hand over her mouth to keep herself from vomiting because of the horrifying scene she bore witness to. "I feel sick!" She cried.

* * *

At the W-0 base, the sudden link loss did not go unnoticed by the scientists, who were even more bewildered.

"A Malamud flash?!" Joe Wise exclaimed surprised.

"Ego boundaries restoring!" Kate reported, as she monitored her screen.

"Mental backlash incoming!" Ferilli informed.

* * *

At the battlefield, the Alexanders that were piloted by the Japanese soldiers were limp as dolls, easy targets for the Ashra Strike Force. With their units taken down while they were in a state of confusion, Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya ditched their Knightmares and ran for it, with Ryo taking a gun with him.

Where Akito was, his Knightmare continued to stand limp as the golden Vercingetorix approached in its quadrupedal mode, looking like a mechanized centaur. Inside it, Shin smiled deviously upon witnessing the white Knightmare, as he got in front of it and used its huge axe to sever all of the Alexander's limbs in two swift cuts, making Akito come back to his senses. The Alexander fell to the ground, looking up at the majestic sight of the golden Knightmare that had dismembered it, which disengaged its quadrupedal form and planted its axe in the ground.

"Ashley, withdraw." Shin's voice came over the coms.

"Lord Shaing, allow me to handle this!" Ashley argued.

"Silence." Shin replied, denying his subordinate's request. "Fall back to the rear lines, Ashley." Shin said with a stern expression.

Ashley grit his teeth and complied with his commander's orders. "Yes, my lord…" Ashley then proceeded to retreat, carrying Johanne's Gloucester with him.

"That Knightmare…" Akito wondered at the golden machine in front of him, but then an all too familiar voice came over its speakers.

"Akito." Shin's voice made Akito tense up, shock taking over the pilot of the downed Alexander. "I can't believe you're alive. And a European soldier, to boot." Shin said.

"It can't be…" Akito trembled, as the cockpit of the Vercingetorix opened and Shin stepped out on his Knightmare's shoulder.

"When I'm exposed like this, even you could kill me, Akito." Shin said, as he watched the Alexander's hatch open and Akito stepping outside it. Shin stared down the younger man with a satisfied smirk, while Akito gazed back with a nervous expression.

"Brother…" Akito said.

However, his coms were still on and his teammates could hear him. "Brother?" Leila wondered, as she arrived at the scene with her Knightmare and saw the two blue haired men standing against each other. "But he's a Britannian Knight…" She saw his uniform and Knightmare, becoming confused.

The other three also arrived, Ayano hiding behind a fence, while Yukiya came out from behind a tree to take in the strange sight. Ryo also arrived, carrying his submachine gun, on time to see Akito and Shin.

"Hyuga?" Ryo wondered, as he and his comrades listened in on the conversation between the two brothers.

"Now I see." Shin chuckled. "The gods allowed you to live for my sake." The older man smiled. "For my great cause." He reached his hand forward towards Akito, offering his brother to join him. "Akito. Take the blood oath with my Order of Michael. And then offer up your life for the creation of a new world."

Akito stared back at his brother in shock. "Brother, are you telling me to…" He asked, his face showing the fear lingering within him.

"That's right." Shin said. "I want you to die." His left eye turned red, the Geass appearing in it. "For my sake."

Akito's eyes widened in horror, as the red circles returned around them.

Leila was not going to take any more of this. "Is that any way to talk to your own little brother?!" She said over the radio, angry, as she took aim with her riffle at Shin, who wasn't even fazed by her presence, which made Leila hesitate to fire.

"Hyuga! Get away from that guy!" Ryo yelled at Akito, as he ran towards him, firing at Shin, but missing due to the long range.

The interruptions did a good job of irritating the Britannian Knight, as his eyes narrowed and a frown settled on his face. "Interrupting the joyous reunion between two brothers?" He mockingly raised his eyebrow at the approaching Ryo. "Your squadmates have no manners, Akito." Shin smirked.

"Tch." Ryo clicked his tongue in irritation, as he had run out of bullets and threw his gun to the ground. "Akito!" He yelled out, his voice reaching the blue haired Japanese.

Akito turned to look back at Ryo, with worry evident in his eyes. "Stay back! Get away!" He yelled.

Shin was once again interrupted, as Jean's voice came over his coms. "Lord Hyuga, the 2nd Field Army seems to have disobeyed orders and sent reinforcements here." Jean informed him, which in turn made her commander frown in frustration.

"Those fools." He sighed, as he then returned his attention to his brother. "Akito." He said, his sibling turning to look at him. "I shall come for you." Shin grinned. "Mark my words." He said and entered his Vercingetorix, the cockpit closing after him.

As he entered his Knightmare and started it up, Jean's voice came over the radio. "Lord Hyuga, I will cover you." She said.

"Jean, that's enough of your jokes." Shin sighed, as he engaged the quadrupedal mode of his Knightmare, grabbing its axe and swinging it in the air threateningly, after which it jumped over the Alexander and proceeded to retreat, followed by Jean's Gracchus, which kept its aim at the Wyvern squad for a short while, after which she followed after her lord.

Seeing that the danger had passed for now, Ryo turned to Akito to check on him. "Akito! Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Akito said, as he stared at the route his brother had taken to leave.

"That guy, was he your-" Ryo also turned to look in that direction.

"Yeah. He was my… big brother." Akito said, as his eyes narrowed, Ryo turning to look at him, surprised from his statement.

The battle for Slonim was over, the Wyvern Squad had won, as forces from the 242nd Regiment advanced on the front lines, pushing the Britannian forces to retreat, thus claiming Slonim as European territory. The W-0 squad cheered, as the news that all members of the Wyvern squad were present and accounted for came.

Oscar cheered along with the others, but then stopped himself, thinking that he had embarrassed himself. Anna cried happily that Leila was alive, while Claus wiped the sweat from his face with a smile. Sophie Randle, on the other hand, went to her private quarters, where she conversed with her husband, who lay encased in a medical pod.

"It was exactly as you said." She said, affectionately leaning against the pod. "I was able to confirm a BRS event." Her husband, who was a part of the research team along with Sophie and Joe, lay asleep in his pod. "Our theory is now one step closer to being proven. And it was all thanks to you." Sophie said, as she gently traced her hand over the glass. "Good night. Sweet dreams." She bid her husband, as she stood up and the pod returned into its secret space in the wall, the wall closing behind it.

Claus had gotten to his own quarters and had poured himself a glass of alcohol, to celebrate the successful mission. "Hanging around directionless youngsters is pretty tough." He said, as he took a gulp from the contents of his glass and sat down on his chair. "I'm not exactly a kid anymore." He entered a cipher into an encrypting machine placed on his desk and began to type information on it. "A job like this is gonna work me into an early grave…"

To the side on his desk stood a family picture of him and his daughter and wife, the latter of which's face had been drawn over with marker so it wasn't visible. This was the reality for Claus Warwick, stuck to work as a Britannian spy, all for the sake of his daughter's happiness.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg airship landing sight**

The Leviathan had just landed and workers were already busy with its maintenance. Others were unloading the cargo off the ship, while the crew of the ship were helping out. A small squadron of soldiers and a noble had assembled to greet the arriving member of the royal family and Knight of the Round.

The noble was a middle aged man, with short grey hair, dressed in a greyish blue outfit and hat, having a white cape over his right shoulder. He stood in front of the entrance of the airship, waiting to greet the VIPs.

"You must be worn out from your long journey." Said the man with his hands crossed behind his back, as he took a few steps forward, seeing Nonette come out with a cheerful smile. "I will send you to the Guest of State residence right away." Nonette walked over to him and the man extended his hand for a handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Enneagram. Allow me to welcome you on behalf of his highness Grand Duke Velaines. I am Michael Augustus." Augustus introduced himself.

Nonette looked at him and smiled, strongly grabbing his hand and shaking it along with the man himself, who was stunned by the force behind her grip. "Nonette Enneagram, the pleasure's all mine." She said cheerfully and let go.

"What's this?" Came Julius' disappointed voice, as he walked out, gaining the nervous gazes of everyone but Nonette. "This is all the welcome I get?" He said, as he walked over to Nonette. He stopped when he found himself facing Michael and looked angrily at the man. "Do you not know who I am, mongrel?" He sneered at Michael, who unconsciously took a step back. "When in my presence, dogs like you should be on their knees." He glared at the man, who quickly got down on the ground.

"Forgive me for my rudeness, your majesty." Michael said, bowing down to the prince, gritting his teeth that he had to prostrate himself like this.

Julius clicked his tongue in irritation at the lack of respect and fear the people here seemed to have of him. "Whatever, when next I return, the streets of St. Petersburg will be lined with the masses cheering my victory and chanting my name." Julius said, as he looked down at the noble in front of him. "By order of the emperor, all Eastern front operational planning will be conducted by me, Julius vi Britannia!" The prince declared with a sinister smirk.

* * *

 **E.U., Warsaw army post**

The victory the E.U. had had over Britannia was short lived, as reinforcements had arrived and claimed back Slonim, driving the united republic's armies out. Soldiers were currently busy lazing about or getting drunk, as all of them complained what a pain it was to be on the front lines. All of them were having fun, while the situation was different for the Wyvern squad.

"Are those people idiots?!" Ayano yelled, as she kicked the drawer near her in irritation.

She and Yukiya were currently in their cabin, which was quite small, consisting of two beds and a drawer between them. Yukiya was laying on his bed, with his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

"They got carried away and deployed their troops, but, in the end, they were driven back and even Slonim was regained by the enemy." Yukiya said.

Ayano was furious. "Our lives got put on the line for those people!" She complained, prompting a chuckle from her companion. "What is it?!" She asked with her hands on her waist.

"You remind me of Akito somehow." Yukiya smiled, which surprised Ayano.

Ryo was currently taking some time alone to think about things. He was sitting at one of the unused line of seats of the giant stadium that was spanning around the camp. He was leaned over the railing and looked at the sky, deep in thought.

"That guy…" He muttered, thinking about Akito.

Said teen was currently waiting in front of the tent, which Leila had entered to arrange their trip home. He was standing with his hands behind his back, patiently waiting for his commander to finish.

Hearing the door open, he turned towards it to see Leila come out. "How did it go, commander?" He asked.

"We've been authorized to use a transport to return home the day after tomorrow." Leila said happily.

"The day after tomorrow?" Akito was surprised.

"Yes." Leila nodded. "Apparently, Gen. Smilas arranged for it."

"Shall we go back, commander?" Akito asked, as he turned to leave for their own cabins.

"Of course." Leila said, but then stopped herself, becoming somewhat nervous. "Um, Lieutenant, may I ask you something?" She said, making Akito come to a stop and turn to look at her. "That Britannian knight… Is it true that he's your brother?" She asked, worried for the bad relationship Akito and his brother had.

Akito narrowed his eyes at the mention of his brother and turned to look to the side. "That man and I were separated over ten years ago." He said, as he gazed up at the night sky. "I hadn't seen him until today."

"But you are brothers, right?" Leila said with a worried expression, wanting for them to get along, as family should.

"The fact that we're brothers, that the same blood runs in our veins, is exactly why he wants to kill me." Akito said, looking briefly at Leila and returning his gaze to the sky.

"Kill you?" Leila gasped, shocked and concerned. "If you're brothers, there has to be a way for you to reach an understanding." She said, making to extend her hand towards Akito. "So you-" She stopped because Akito grabbed her by the wrist before she could reach him, making the blond girl nervous.

He turned to look at her with a mad grin. "I already died once." He said, as he got closer to Leila, not releasing his grip on her hand, the mad look in his eye frightening her. "That's why I'm going to return the favor and kill him this time."

* * *

 **And cut. Well, this is it for the introduction into the conflict between Euro Britannia and the EU. From here on the Wyvern squad will be up against an enemy they could've never been prepared to face. Once again, this chapter was an almost complete copy of Akito ep 2, but it was a necessary evil, to establish the setting of the events to come. Anyway, thank you for reading and have an awesome day!**


	5. Approaching Terror

**Here we go, the next chapter in this installment. Thank you guys for being patient and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Stage 5: Approaching Terror

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg, Caesar's Palace**

The most prominent figures in Euro Britannia's society had gathered at the royal palace. Duke Velaines was sitting on his throne, surrounded by the four Knight Grandmasters and Michael Augustus. The duke was leaned back on his throne, his eyes narrowing at the man walking in. The others also gave the guest a questioning gaze, while Shin stood with a smirk on his face.

Walking down the purple carpet, accompanied by Nonette, who walked behind him and was carrying the briefcase with her, Julius vi Britannia slowly approached the duke, carrying an arrogant smile on his face. There was dead silence and the only sounds that could be heard were the footsteps of the arriving guests. The two came to a stop, with Nonette kneeling to show her respect, while Julius provokingly stared at Velaines.

After he took a look at everyone present, Julius smirked. "Interesting." Were the prince's first words, as he then turned his attention to the duke. "Duke Velaines, I presume?" The one eyed prince said, placing one of his hands on his waist.

"Prince Julius." The duke said his name, his voice sounding on edge.

The prince chuckled. "Indeed. I see that you and your men don't understand the proper code of respect you owe to someone like me." He said, which made the duke frown, while Nonette stood up. "I'm sure that you are well aware by now that I have been granted full authority over every single one of you. Here is the proof." He said, turning to Nonette, who opened the briefcase, allowing Julius to reach and take out the item inside. With a swift motion of his hand, he took out the white and golden scepter, with golden blade shaped edges, and pointed it at the duke, as if he was aiming at him with a pistol.

Michael became nervous, when he and the others saw what the item, that the prince was holding, was. "The imperial scepter!" Michael exclaimed, nervous.

"Henceforth, all of you will take my words as the emperor's. And you will obey them!" Julius smirked, proclaiming his control.

After his meeting with the duke and the four grandmasters, Julius had returned to his quarters, accompanied by Nonette, to go through the information on the status of the war and figure out a course of action. He was sitting on his sofa, reading through each individual report, while Nonette stood across him on a chair, a glass table separating the two.

"Quite the bunch, those guys are." Nonette said, wanting to have a conversation, either she would die from boredom, taking the prince out of his work.

"A load of insufferable fools, though…" Julius grumbled, but then remembered that one of them had caught his attention. "there was one that seemed a little more competent than the others." He said, as he returned to reading the reports.

"Oh? Someone got your eye?" Nonette asked, intrigued.

"The one with the blue hair and the white robes." Julius said, as he stumbled across a very interesting piece of information. "He had a different look in his eyes than what I've seen in others."

"And that means?" The Knight asked, confused.

"That he'll be plenty of useful." Julius grinned, as he read through the report on the latest battle of Slonim, learning about the supposed European Knightmare squad, the Ghost of Hannibal. "More importantly, it looks like this war won't be as boring as I had thought." He said and raised his head to look at Nonette with a satisfied grin. "It turns out that we have a perfect opportunity to test out your new toy and crush the enemy's greatest asset."

Nonette perked up, enthusiasm beginning to overflow from her, as she jumped up from her seat. "Why didn't you say so sooner?" She said with a smile, cracking her knuckles. "I've been dying to have some fun."

"There are a few arrangements that I have to make. Meanwhile, you pack up and get the ship ready." Julius grinned. "We're going on a ghost hunt."

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

Back at the castle, it was a bright day and the W-0 unit was enjoying the relaxation after their successful mission, with Claus Warwick being on a fishing boat in the middle of the lake near the base.

"Whew," He said, as he finished prepping his fishing pole and attached it to the handle on the side of the boat, with the bait already being in the water. "the day can't go without a drink." He said, taking out his can of alcohol and drinking from it.

In Leila's room, Anna entered, carrying a bowl with cat food to feed Eliza.

"Elizabeth!" Anna announced herself, as she entered the room. "I've brought you lunch!"

The cat, upon hearing her voice, jumped up and ran under Leila's bed to hide, with the bell on its collar ringing from its sudden movement.

Anna followed after the cat. "Eliza! Time to eat!" She said, as she looked around Leila's room for the cat. "Eliza?" She then put the bowl down and took a look under Leila's bed to find Elizabeth hissing at her. "I wish you would finally get used to me." Anna said with a smile and reached her hand forward. "Come on out." She asked, receiving more hissing.

The purple haired girl stood up and sat on the bed in the room. "I just can't manage Eliza." She sighed and looked at a picture on Leila's drawer that had both girls together in their earlier days together. "Leila…"

* * *

 **E.U., Warsaw army post, Sports Stadium**

The Wyvern squad's day, however, wasn't going so well and the mood among them was gloomy. The team were currently gathered together and were sitting on the seats of the old stadium, still dressed in their pilot uniforms, since they hadn't brought any other clothing.

"We've been stuck here for four days now!" Ayano complained, wearing her suit half-way unzipped, showcasing her bountiful cleavage.

"I've been checking in with HQ every day." Leila replied with a sigh, Akito standing of to her side with crossed arms and Ryo and Yukiya on the other, not having a care for their friend's complaints. "They can't seem to arrange transportation for us."

"I want to get out of this dump!" Ayano complained again. "Besides, the people here are-" Just as she was about to continue a bunch of soldiers arrived, passing by them.

"Would ya look at that!" One of them said in a mocking attitude, drawing the eyes of all wyvern members. "If it isn't Eleven soldiers!"

"Do your best to die instead of us, okay?" Another one spoke, mocking them, as he and his friends passed by them. "Even Elevens might become heroes when they die!" He and his friends laughed, dropping his can of beer on the ground.

Ayano, riled up, kicked the can to the side, while the others paid the soldiers no mind.

Unknown to them, at the Supply Corps of the Warsaw post, a certain scumbag that Leila had dealt with was planning to mess with the Wyvern squad's ID cards.

"Of all the places to run into you again, Leila Malcal!" Pierre Anou, Lt. Col. Commander of 103rd Supply corps, grinned, as he typed on his keyboard.

Back with the Wyvern squad, the group had gone to the bazaar to look around and spend the day. The place was brimming with people, customers and shopkeepers present as far as the eye could see. The five were currently in the middle of the district.

"What's the point of coming to the bazaar, if we don't have any money?" Ayano asked, confused.

"My ID also has a credit card." Leila explained, as they walked around.

"Hoo, how much is on it?" Ryo asked, intrigued.

"Around a million Euros, I think." Leila replied.

"Eeeh?!" Ryo and Ayano's jaws dropped. "A million?!"

Pumped up, Ayano raised her fist to the sky. "Alright, then let's eat lots of good food!"

"Now you're talking!" Ryo exclaimed.

"You're not a Lt. Colonel for nothing." Yukiya noted with a satisfied smile.

Ayano ran off to the nearest dress stand and began going through the clothes. "Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Oh, wow!" She exclaimed, currently on cloud nine, as she continued to go through clothes after clothes. "These are so great!" She picked up another dress. "So's this one!" She then turned to Akito and Leila, who were standing off to the side, looking at her. "Can we get some, Leila?" She asked.

"Right, that's a good idea." Leila said, flustered for a second, while Akito stood next to her with his arms crossed and an uncaring expression. "The army hasn't issued us uniforms…" Leila was busy discussing with herself, when Ayano grabbed her by the hand.

"Come on, Leila!" She said and dragged the blond commander along with her on a shopping spree.

Leila took a look at one of the dresses. "Oh, this one's cute!" She said.

Ayano picked up a long red frilly dress. "I think this would look good on Yukiya." She gloated, proud of her jab at her friend.

Yukiya was carrying a stuffed animal he had decided he was going to buy, when a smile popped on his face. "Better than on you, at least." He said, turning Ayano's joke on her, which made her scowl at him.

Ryo, on the other hand, was busy in an intense stare-down with a stand of garden dwarfs, kind of scaring the salesman. "Hey, pops! Can you cut me a better deal on this? Okay?" He began to bargain with the man.

Akito was walking around, trying not to lose the others out of sight, when he heard a strange elderly voice. "You poor thing…" The voice said, making Akito look for its source, finding it out to be an elderly woman with a wooden walking cane. "You poor thing." She said again, which prompted Akito to pass by her, unsettled.

Meanwhile, a problem interrupted the shopping spree of the rest of the group.

"That can't be right! Are you sure that thing isn't broken?" Ayano asked, agitated that Leila's ID card could not pay for their purchases.

"It can't be, I just had it checked." The shopkeeper replied, trying to use it to pay again, prompting a red screen to appear on his scanner, indicating the card to be invalid. "See? Your credit's no good."

"But that's not possible…" Leila couldn't understand what was going on.

Akito briefly turned around to see if the elderly woman that had spoken to him was still there, only to see that she was not there, gone off to somewhere.

The shopkeeper returned Leila's ID card to her and took back all the clothes Ayano had piled up. "Bring cash if you want these!" He said.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ayano complained.

Ryo was confused. "What the hell? What's going on?" He asked, while Yukiya let out a defeated sigh, surrendering himself to the reality that he wouldn't be able to buy the plushie he had taken.

The group went over to the nearest security gate to check in with administration about the problem. Leila tried her card again, only for it to not work once more, confusing her even further.

"I'm getting a code error. There's no registration info recorded on it." The man on the digital screen on the terminal said with a mocking expression. "I can't let you in with that ID."

"You checked it when we went out!" Leila complained, slamming her hands on the terminal. "I'll get to the bottom of it at HQ, so let us through!"

"He's an idiot. That guy's an idiot." Ayano muttered to herself about the man on the screen, trying to keep herself from exploding, prompting a smile from Yukiya.

"Sorry, I don't make the rules." The man on the screen mocked Leila. "Civilians can make arrangements through the Public Relations Department."

Ryo had enough of this joke and got in front of the terminal. "Stop screwing with us, damn it!" He yelled out, after which he delivered a hard kick to the terminal, breaking it in the process.

Without any money and a way to get back to the camp, they had nowhere to sleep now, too. They were gathered in front of a staircase and were thinking how to resolve their predicament.

"That bastard…" Ryo cursed at the guy on the terminal. "If I run into him on the street, I'm gonna belt him 5 or 6 times!"

"You mustn't stoop to violence, Warrant Officer Sayama." Leila told him.

"Aren't you pissed off?" Ryo asked her.

"Well, what can we do?" Leila asked in defeat. "A military has to strictly adhere to regulations."

"Wasn't he just harassing us?" Ayano asked, with her face rested on her hand, as she and all the others except for Akito, who was leaned on the wall, were sitting on the stairs.

"That's certainly possible." Leila sighed.

Akito, who had spent his time listening to the others, was then snapped to attention, when he heard the creepy elderly voice again. "You poor thing." Ticked off, Akito turned to look at the small granny, who dropped her cane.

She started to walk towards him, grabbing the others' attention, then grabbing his hand, which offset the blue haired teen. "You're a cursed child." The granny said. She was an old woman, surely after her 90s, dressed in gipsy garments.

"Let go." Akito said, becoming hostile.

"You poor thing," The granny said, further creeping Akito out. "You have such a terrible curse on you…" Her words made Akito remember the memory of him and his brother among the piles of corpses and his brother's order to him to die. "I'll lift the curse for you." The granny said, as Akito stared shocked at her.

"Let go!" Akito said, forcing his arm free, pushing the old woman to the ground in the process.

"How could you do that to a little old granny?!" Ryo rose to his feet, shocked, only to see a group of more elderly gipsy women rush to the one on the ground.

"It hurts! It hurts!" The granny on the ground squirmed.

"Great Granny!" One of the others spoke, as she and the others gathered around her. "Her leg is badly scratched!" Said another.

Leila rushed to the group to see if she could help somehow. "Are you alright?" she asked worried.

"It hurts! It hurts!" The oldest granny continued to squirm.

"This scratch might kill her!" Another of the gipsy women spoke. "We don't have any money to take her to a doctor!"

"If only we had enough money to buy medicine for her!" Another spoke.

Ryo and the others walked over to see what the fuss was about. "Are these old biddies shaking us down?" He asked, which shocked Leila, who thought that the granny was severely hurt.

"How could you say such a thing?" One of the women spoke, keeping up with the performance. "You attack us and we're the thieves?"

"Growing old is so sad…" Another one said.

"Oh, it hurts…" The oldest granny continued to play her act.

"She's done for! She's going to die!" Dramatized the other woman.

Leila looked at them with a sad face, while Akito was with his usual neutral expression. Yukiya was with an amused smile, while Ryo and Ayano were not buying the elder women's act.

"We really are sorry." Leila said, feeling guilty about harm coming to the granny.

Ayano decided to put an end to the grannies' performance. "I hate to break it to you, ladies," She shrugged. "but we don't have any money."

"We don't even have a place to sleep." Yukiya added with a friendly smile.

"You what?!" The granny that had pretended to be hurt jumped to her feet, shocked, surprising Leila. "How can that be?" She said, disappointed.

"They say they're broke." One of the women said.

"What a waste." Sighed the tallest one.

"You know what that means, right, little lady?" Another said with a sly smile.

Later, at a forest near the river outside the city, the Wyvern squad had accompanied the grannies. It turned out that that was the place where they lived, as their caravans, with all of their belongings, were parked near the trees. The group of young soldiers were now spectators to a very strange sight. The grannies had set up their table, brought them along, and were now pouring each other wine, laughing in the meantime.

"A glass of wine after a day's work really hits the spot!" One of them laughed, as they clacked their glasses.

"And look at these sweet, young servants!" Another one said, as she drained her glass down, making the others laugh more.

"But just look at those indecent outfits!" They laughed more.

Leila stared utterly confused at the situation, failing to understand what they had gotten themselves into.

"That's for sure!" Another of the grannies commented.

"I'll go blind!" Joked the one that had spoken first.

"Oh, you know you love it!" Another replied, with everyone laughing once more.

Ryo and the others stared at them, wondering why did they even get dragged along in the first place. "What's the deal with this horde of grannies?" He asked.

"They have so much energy…" Ayano said, feeling somewhat off-put.

"She doesn't look like she's at death's door to me." Yukiya commented about the grannies' obvious lie.

"I'm sorry, but we have to go back and-" Leila tried to excuse herself and her squad, but was cut off by one of the grannies.

"Trying to run away, eh?" One of the grannies asked, with a smug attitude.

"N-no, we wouldn't dream of it!" Leila replied, feeling that it would be a shameful act to leave, due to her good nature.

"Then get changed to get to work!" Another of the grannies shooed them off.

The boys were directed to one of the caravans where they could find clothes that they could change into, while Leila and Ayano were accompanied by some of the grannies to help them get changed.

Inside the caravan, Ayano was trying her best to keep her chastity, as the grannies pulled her clothes off from her.

"Stop it!" She begged, as the two grannies took off her pilot uniform piece by piece, while another was holding her down. "Please, stop it!"

"That's all of it!" One of the grannies declared triumphantly, as she and the others got off from Ayano, who was now lying on the floor curled up into a ball, hiding her private parts out of shame, which made the grannies laugh.

"Don't look!" She yelled out, embarrassed, as she held her arms tightly around her chest to cover it.

Leila wasn't having such problems, as she wasn't resisting and let the grannies help her change.

"You have the loveliest skin!" One of the grannies told her, as she took of the lower part of her pilot uniform, leaving Leila now stark naked.

"Thank you." Leila replied, as then the granny gently moved her blond hair behind her shoulders.

"Just like we used to have when we were young!" The other one said.

The rest of the grannies were gathered outside, conversing with each other while they waited for their new slaves to get ready. When they heard someone step outside, they turned to see Leila walk over to them, dressed in an orange gipsy dress, with a frilly skirt, a red corset and headband, from which hanged golden trinkets.

"Am I wearing this right?" She asked, wondering about her new look.

"That looks wonderful!" One of the grannies told her, placing a hand on her shoulder, surprising the blond girl.

"You look like me when I was young!" Another said, happily.

Having changed herself, Ayano had already gone off to work, as she was cleaning the wooden tables with a wet towel.

"What's this smell?!" She complained. "These clothes are all musty!" She said, as she took a sniff at what she was wearing. She was currently dressed in a crimson pink dress similar to Leila.

"Are they?" One of the grannies said, approaching Ayano from behind, surprising the Japanese girl. "It's not surprising. I haven't taken those out in 50 years!" she said.

Ryo had finished changing as well and was sent on woodcutter duty. He was dressed in long baggy black pants and same color shoes, while on top he had a red jacket that barely fit him, which he wore unzipped, leaving his upper torso uncovered. He also wore baggy light purple sleeves for his arms.

"Damn those crazy old broads…" Ryo complained, as he swung down with the axe and split a piece of wood in two, crouching down to get another.

In that moment, one of the grannies grabbed his butt, getting a feel of it, which surprised Ryo, making him yell out and jump away.

"Like a rock!" The perverted granny commented with a satisfied smile.

"Hands off, granny!" Ryo told her, eyeing her nervously, his hands placed on his rear to protect it from further intrusion.

Yukiya had changed into a set of sand orange and red baggy clothing, though he still kept his grey glove on his scarred left hand, and was busy peeling off potatoes for dinner.

"My outfit seems a bit girly." He noted, as he stopped peeling for a moment.

"It's cute." The granny that was looking over him said.

Ayano was having trouble putting on the sheets for the tables, as they were too big for one person to manage alone.

"If you don't hurry it up, you're not getting any dinner!" One of the grannies told her.

"It's hard to do this by myself!" Ayano complained.

"Then get someone to help you out." The granny said without the slightest care in the world and left the Japanese teen by herself.

"Leila! Leila!" Ayano called for her commander, thinking that she was unoccupied at the moment. "Jeez, where did she go?" Ayano sighed.

Meanwhile, the oldest granny of the bunch, the one that Akito had 'assaulted', was taking a nap, with her white cat resting in her lap, while the horses that pulled the caravans were eating their wheat.

Akito had also finished changing into his new clothes, which consisted of a loose green jacket, white pants with a brown belt and a gold trinket, which he had used to tie his braid. He was currently walking along the river bank, when one of the grannies stopped him.

"You there." She called out to him, gaining his attention and making him stop. "Akito, was it?"

"Yes?" Akito turned to the granny, seeing two empty buckets next to her.

"Go fill those buckets with water from the river." The granny said, as she took a smoke from her pipe.

Akito grabbed hold of the handles of the buckets and pulled them up, but was then interrupted by the arrival of Leila. He turned to look at her, to see if she needed something.

"Lt. Hyuga, let me do that!" Leila said, making to grab one of the buckets from Akito's hand, but was unable to, since he pulled it away from her.

"I'll do it." Akito said, denying his commander's request.

"But I…" Leila said, wanting to be of help.

Akito turned and gave her an indifferent look. "Find something that you can handle, Commander." He said and left to do his job.

Taking his advice, Leila tried her hand at cutting the vegetables, which she clearly wasn't skilled at, since she had no prior experience in it.

She held the knife like a sword and cut the carrot she was currently working on in large chunks. "Is this about right?" She wondered.

"Leila, are you done?" Ayano asked, as she walked over to Leila, carrying a basket of peeled potatoes, but was then put off at the horribly cut carrot.

"I-I did it wrong?" Leila asked, turning towards Ayano with the knife in hand, making the other girl instinctively back off.

Yukiya, on the other hand, was a talented pro at cooking, as he cut the ingredients of the soup they would be having masterfully.

"You're terrific at chopping!" One of the grannies noted, astonished.

"I had to learn to cook for myself when I was little." Yukiya smiled humbly.

The granny laughed happily at his statement. "You're a good boy, Yukiya."

"The pasta's done boiling!" Ayano said, as she walked over and brought Yukiya the food to finish cooking it. Just as she said that, a girly scream was heard, followed by the sound of crashing dishes. "She didn't…" Ayano sighed, as she turned around.

The sight before everyone's eyes was a Leila, who had fallen to the ground, and the many broken dishes and food on the ground right next to her.

"I messed up…" Leila sighed in shame, as she got up and then turned to Ayano, thinking that she might be of help elsewhere. "Ayano?" She inquired if the other girl needed help, making her almost jump out in fright of the blond girl's clumsiness.

"No thanks!" Ayano said, turning around, in an effort to keep the blond girl away from the dinner. "You don't need to touch the food, Leila!"

Akito was busy organizing the table, as he put candles on it for nightfall, when he was approached by one of the grannies.

"Akito, help fetch the wine." She said.

"Is it in the cart?" The blue haired teen asked.

"Yes, Ryo is already-" Just as the granny was explaining to him, Leila ran past them.

"I'll do it!" She declared, wanting to be helpful, getting confused looks from Akito and the Granny.

"How can you drink all this?" Ryo asked, confused at the sheer quantity of wine there was, as he put down the last crate with bottles down on the ground.

Arriving with a brisk pace, Leila announced herself. "I'll help!" She said and hunched over to pick up one of the crates, lifting it up slightly, only to find it quite heavy, as she barely moved around with it.

Seeing this, Ryo panicked. "No, Leila!" He said, trying to get the blond girl to put down the crate. "Don't touch those!"

"I can carry this much!" She grunted through a lot of effort, as she tried her hardest to keep herself from dropping the crate.

"Don't!" Ryo told her nervously, making the girl finally put down the crate. "If you drop it, they'll all break!" He said. "Find something else, okay?" He said with an apologetic smile.

"Fine, I understand…" Leila replied, feeling dejected and useless.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

Back at the castle, the members of the W-0 were having a bit of a crisis with the absence of any intel on their team's whereabouts.

"It's unthinkable that she wouldn't check in!" Anna said, worried, as she brushed away her tears with a napkin. "She must be…"

Chloe and Hilda were trying to cheer up their boss, as they sat together with her. "Think positive thoughts, boss!" Chloe said. "Right, we did get a report from her from the Warsaw garrison."

"I'm sure that she's fine." Hilda added, as Joe Wise walked in with a tray of food in hands and sat down on the table, along with the other members of the unit.

At Claus' office, the man was having trouble dealing with the situation.

"I understand, Major Hammel." Claus said to the major standing in front of him, as he sat in his desk chair, holding the picture of him and his daughter. "But she isn't a child." He said, referring to the absent Leila.

"We haven't been able to reach Commander Malcal for days!" The purple haired soldier spoke, placing his hand on his superior's desk. "Shouldn't we assume that something's happened to her?"

"Maybe…" Claus said, looking off to the side. "Anyway, there's nothing that we can do about it from here." He said, turning his chair around.

"We ought to file a search request, deputy Commander!" Hammel suggested.

"I'm not so sure…" Claus said, with his head rested on his hand, as he silently pushed the briefcase with the encryption machine in it with his foot out sight.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg**

In the capital of Euro Britannia, Shin Hyuga Shaing was currently spending time with his adoptive family, as his younger sister was currently being tailored a dress. He was dressed in a white formal suit and wore his long blue hair loose. Standing off to the side in the room, was also Jean Rowe, who was there accompanying her lord. Maria and Alice Shaing were also in the room, as the latter was currently surrounded by fabric materials.

"What do you think of this one?" The tailor asked the young blond girl.

"This fabric is wonderful!" Alice said.

"Would this make your luminous beauty even more radiant, Miss Alice?" The tailor inquired, cheerfully.

"This pattern is cute." Alice said, as she touched the material, but then turned to another one that was placed to the side. "But this color is pretty, too!" She said and picked the fabric up, showing it to Shin. "Brother, look! Which do you like better?" She asked.

"Let me think…" Shin said, placing his hand under his chin in a thinking manner.

"Come on, which?" Alice asked.

"Mother would be a better judge." Shin said with a smile.

"Oh my! Shin is embarrassed!" Maria giggled.

"Please don't tease, Mother." Shin replied.

"Brother is blushing!" Alice giggled along with her mother.

Shin smiled at them, enjoying the carefree situation, but then a strange sensation overtook him, as he remembered about his power, the Geass. His features turned into a serious deadly stare, which did not go unnoticed by Jean, who became concerned for her lord.

Elsewhere in the capital city, Julius was busy setting up the preparations required for his plan. He had just returned from a manufacturing site, where he had issued his orders, and was now in-route to another destination that required his attention. The prince was walking towards his limousine, when an unfamiliar voice called out to him.

"Your highness!" The male voice called. "Please wait!"

Surprised and curious, Julius turned around to see an orange haired knight running towards him, stopping abruptly and saluting to him. "Hm? And who might you be?" Julius raised an eyebrow at the soldier.

"My name is Ashley Ashra, your highness." Ashley said, staying at attention. "I'm a member of the Knights of St. Michael."

Julius eyed the knight in front of him curiously, seeing that there was something he wanted. "Well then, sir Ashley, what might be troubling you that you've sought my audience? I'd make it quick if I were you, I am a busy man, after all." Julius said, resting his right arm on his waist.

"Right. I got word that your highness is issuing an assault towards Warsaw territories." Ashely said, feeling a bit unnerved by the cold and piercing gaze of the prince.

"And?" Julius inquired, starting to get impatient.

"You're going after the Ghost of Hannibal, right, your highness?" Ashley asked and then a determined look showed itself in his eyes. "Please take me with you to the battlefront!"

Julius blinked a few times, confused by the knight's request, but then remembered the report on the battle of Slonim. "Ah, you were the one that battled against the Ghost of Hannibal at Slonim." Julius noted. "If I remember correctly, you lost one of your soldiers in the fight, Johanne Fabius, I think his name was."

"That's right, your highness!" Ashely nodded in agreement. "Please, allow me to avenge my fallen friend!" The orange haired knight begged, as he bowed down.

Julius smirked at the knight, finding his request quite amusing. "As much as I'd like to grant your wish of revenge, right now the battle that is going to be waged will be nothing more than a demonstration of superior might." Julius said, making Ashley confused, who raised his head to look at the prince. "We will expand our reach into Warsaw with me and the Knight of Nine as the main force." Julius grinned. "The chance that the Ghost of Hannibal is still in that region isn't that high either, since this will be just a test run for me to get a clear scope of the incompetence of the E.U. But fear not, for I have a very important assignment for you, which will surely allow you to have your revenge."

Hearing the last part was enough for Ashley, as without asking any more questions, he rose to his feet and saluted. "Thank you, your highness. I'm sincerely grateful for the opportunity that you have given me."

"I expect good results from you, Ashley Ashra. You shall be informed of your assignment once I return." Julius said with a crafty smirk, as he turned to leave.

* * *

 **E.U., Warsaw city outskirts**

Nighttime had fallen and the grannies and teens had gone to bed inside the caravans. Ryo was having trouble sleeping, considering the fact that he was sharing the same sheets with two of the grannies that had snuggled up to him. Loud snoring from all of the elderly women filled the caravan, as Akito laid in bed wide awake, staring out the window.

The situation was similar in the other caravan, as snoring disrupted the silent night. Sleeping together on a separate bed, Leila and Ayano lay next to each other, with Ayano fast asleep. Leila turned her back towards Ayano, trying to go to sleep, but then felt the other girl hug her by the waist. Confused, Leila slightly raised herself up to turn around and look at Ayano, to see her asleep.

"Sister…" Ayano muttered in her sleep with a pure and happy smile, which made Leila smile at her, as the blond girl gently stroked the Japanese girl's head.

Deciding that she wanted to take some fresh air, Leila silently got out of the caravan and walked out in the open, letting out a heavy sigh.

"You can't sleep?" Akito's voice called out to her, prompting Leila to turn around and see him leaned next to the other caravan.

The two went over and sat next to the river, as the water was barely audible as it streamed down.

"I had no idea that I was this useless." Leila said with a heavy sigh, referring to how she couldn't help out with any of the chores they were given.

"They're only good at it because they've had rough childhoods." Akito told her, referring to Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya. "It's nothing to be worried about."

"Are you trying to make me feel better?" Leila asked, still feeling dejected.

"Not really. I'm just stating the facts." Akito said, as he stared off into the river's waters. "Our experiences here aren't ones you need to have."

"But aren't they important skills that you need to have to get by in life?" Leila asked.

"It's better if you can get by without needing them." Akito said, slightly turning to look at her.

"You might be right." Leila said, as she looked down at the ground. "But, I feel like I'm completely helpless. Like with my father."

Her statement made Akito inquire further. "Your father, Commander?" He asked.

"He was a politician." Leila said, surprising Akito.

"In Europia after defecting from Britannia…" Akito muttered, as he then remembered who Leila's father was. "Wait, Assemblyman Breisgau was your father?" He asked, surprised.

"You've heard of him, too, Lieutenant?" Leila said with a sad smile. "He was." She said. "My father… Bradow Von Breisgau."

Leila remembered her father's political career. How he had managed to assemble the masses of the whole EU. His vision of true freedom for humanity and the fateful day of his final speech.

"The assassination of Assemblyman Breisgau…" Akito recalled the event.

"Yes. It happened when I was six." Leila said.

"You also lost your mother then?" The blue haired Japanese asked.

"Yes." Leila said, with scowling features. "In the chaos after my father's death."

She remembered how her mother, Claudia Breisgau, had clung to her to protect her and how Gene Smilas attempted to help them escape. Sadly, Leila's mother died when the car, which they were using to escape, crashed due to the mercenaries', who were hired to kill Leila's father, attacks. She remembered being able to get out of the car and turning to look back at the vehicle that had caught fire. Leila was only six years old at the time.

The small Leila turned to look at the upside down vehicle, which she had crawled out from. "Mama?" She asked, frightened.

Leila's mother was badly wounded in the crash and was unable to get out. "Leila…" Her mother reached out toward her, wanting to protect her child with every last bit of strength she had, but the fire soon consumed everything.

"I was the only survivor." Leila said, recalling the painful memories. "I was a stranger, so I'm grateful to the Malcals for taking me in and raising me." She said. "But…" She looked up from the ground and gazed at the vast horizon. "I want the strength to live on my own terms." She knew just how weak and small she was in the world and that there were countless others better than her in a lot of things, but still, the blue eyed girl desperately wished to be someone, who could protect others and give them strength and hope.

"Strength to live, huh..." Akito mused his thoughts out loud, as he stared emptily at the river. Such a concept was strange to him, a cursed man, who threw himself into battle with the hope of finally meeting his end.

* * *

 **United Republic of Europia Army Joint Headquarters**

"What do you intend to do about the W-0 unit, Gen. Smilas?" One of the general's most trusted officers asked, as he and the rest of his peers were gathered in the general's office.

"Have you heard of the Maid of Orleans?" Smilas asked.

"Jeanne d'Arc, sir?" Inquired the officer.

"She received a divine revelation to save France, which was exhausted in the Hundred Years' War against England." Smilas said, as he picked up a book that was on his desk, which contained the story he was currently talking about. "We might need one of those." He said, as he scrolled the pages and came across a picture of the Breisgau family. "Our own Jeanne d'Arc."

* * *

 **Euro-Britannia, St. Petersburg**

Julius was currently in his quarters, having just returned from issuing his orders and making sure that everything he required for his upcoming plan was prepared. He had also called for the last man to face off against the Ghost of Hannibal, Shin Hyuga Shaing. The prince was sitting on his sofa, the imperial scepter placed on the table before him, waiting for the Knight to arrive.

The doors to the prince's quarters opened and Shin entered announcing his presence. "Greetings, your highness." Shin said and bowed. "I understood that you've requested my presence?"

"Ah, Lord Shaing I believe it was. Yes, I did call for you." Julius said, looking at the man, as the knight stood up, analyzing him. He crossed his fingers and smiled. "I'll get straight to the point. Things are already in place and proceeding as I want, but I found something intriguing in the recent battle reports." The prince said, locking gazes with Shin. "I'm told that you know the details of this European Knightmare squad called the 'Ghost of Hannibal'?" Julius asked, taking the scepter in hand.

Shin looked at the prince, attempting to get a clear picture of who he was dealing with. "I encountered them in battle a little while before your arrival, your highness." He said with an emotionless gaze. "And unfortunately, failed to destroy them."

Hearing his words, made Julius chuckle, clearly amused. "Failed to destroy them, eh?" He raised an eyebrow at the Knight in white and red, after which he grinned. "Of all the disgusting trash that call themselves nobility, it's my first time meeting someone as interesting as you." The prince's grin turned into a smirk, after which he pointed at Shin with the scepter, moving it towards a chair in front of the table. "Take a seat."

Shin did just that, comfortably placing himself in the seat, keeping his neutral composure. "With what can I be of use to you?" He asked.

"You will assist me, Lord Shaing." Julius smirked. "I believe that you and I will get along quite well."

Interested in the prince's claim, Shin inquired. "What makes you think that?" The blue haired man asked with a friendly smile.

Julius smiled back, leaning on the sofa. "Well, the murderer of an ex-Knight of the Round, Sir Manfredi, is bound to be someone capable."

Hearing his words, Shin scowled, reaching for the handle of his blade. "That's quite the assumption you have, your highness." He said, with an almost threatening voice, worried if the prince was aware of the existence of his Geass.

The change in the mood did not phase the prince in the slightest, as he continued to smile. "There is no need for you to draw your blade, not that you are capable of killing me anyway." Julius grinned. "I actually find your cunningness and tenacity quite pleasing."

Shin frowned at the prince. "Is that so?"

"Rest assured, I have no intention of persecuting you or revealing your little secret." Julius said. "Instead of making enemies, why don't you ally yourself with me?"

"What would I gain from doing that?" Shin asked, his features relaxing a bit, thinking if he should use his Geass on the prince.

"Heh." Julius chuckled. "You'll see, when I return from the upcoming battle." The prince's face turned into a sick grin. "A lot of changes will transpire in the status quo around here."

"Ho?" Shin exclaimed, finding the prince a difficult case to crack. The best option right now was to deceive Julius into a partnership, until the right time to strike came. "You are an interesting man, prince Julius vi Britannia." Shin said, after which he smiled. "You have my allegiance."

"Excellent." Julius replied with a satisfied smirk.

* * *

 **E.U., Warsaw city outskirts**

Morning had come and with the new day, Leila had decided to better herself and got one of the grannies to teach her domestic skills. The sheer failure she had experienced the previous day, brought her to ask one of the grannies to instruct her. She was currently doing the laundry by the river.

"Put your back into it!" The granny ordered her.

"Yes, ma'am!" Leila said and did as she was told.

"Harder!" The granny told her.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Hit it harder!" The granny supervised Leila's actions and gave her instructions.

"Yes, ma'am!" Leila replied, her voice slightly flinching, but continuing on her task nonetheless. "Thank you for teaching me the proper way!"

Off to the side, Ayano was busy with her own assignments, but couldn't help but notice Leila's situation. "What's up with that?" She asked.

"Hard work is contagious, I guess." Yukiya said, currently being on horse cleaning duty.

"Work faster!" The granny ordered.

"I'll try!" Leila responded.

Ryo walked over to the others, carrying buckets that he had to fill with water. "Let's help when we're done here." He said, as he walked over to the river and filled one of the buckets.

Having finished his own chores, Akito came around through the trees to look at what the others were doing, without them knowing that he was there.

"Leila! Hold on tight!" Ayano said, as she and Leila were going to dry one of the bigger sheets.

"I will! Don't worry!" Leila replied, as both girls held the two ends of the wrapped sheet.

"Then here goes! Ready, go!" Ayano said and made a circular motion with the wet cloth, which made Leila grasp down on her end to ensure that she didn't drop it.

Ryo had finished his first set of buckets and was watching the girls' activity with amusement. "That looks fun." He said. "Want me to take over?"

"Quit bothering us." Ayano shooed him off, making him click his tongue in irritation, as he grabbed the next two buckets and went over to the river again. "You're on water detail, Ryo!" Ayano then turned back to Leila. "Now we're gonna wring it out!" She said.

"Ready!" Leila replied.

Ryo crouched down and filled up one of the buckets. "Okay, then…" He grunted, as he removed the bucket from the water and placed it on the ground, after which he felt a familiar sensation on his rear. The same granny from the previous day felt up his rear again, making him jump up from surprise once more.

"Your rear is as fine as ever!" The granny noted.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ryo said, as he walked back into the river, holding his hands over his butt to preserve his privacy.

"Come on, where's the harm?" The granny shrugged.

"You crazy old broad!" Ryo cursed at her, as he backed away further, only to fall into the deep part of the river and be carried downstream.

Ayano and Yukiya jumped up and left what they were doing, running towards their friend. "Ryo!" Yukiya yelled out, as he ran into the river after him.

"Oh, no! Ryo can't swim!" Ayano exclaimed, as she ran after Yukiya to help him pull out the drowning Ryo.

"He's being carried downstream!" Leila noted.

Akito couldn't help but crack a smile, when they managed to pull Ryo out of the water.

"Are you okay, Ryo?!" Ayano asked, concerned.

"That damn hag…" Ryo cursed, as he coughed on some water, being soaking wet.

"There are deep spots, so be careful!" One of the grannies said.

"I had no idea that you couldn't swim." Leila said.

Akito let out a small chuckle at his comrades' situation, but was then approached by one of the grannies.

"You're not joining them?" She asked.

Akito's smile faded away and was replaced by his usual neutral expression. "It's none of my business." He said and walked off to somewhere else.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg**

Nonette was currently busy overseeing the preparations for the upcoming military operation, as she stood and watched the Knightmares being loaded into the hangars of the battle ships.

"So? Is everything ready?" Julius' voice called out to her, as she turned around to see him approach, with the imperial scepter in hand.

The knight gave the prince a greeting smile. "Yep, I've relayed your orders to the forces stationed at Slonim that we'll be pushing into Warsaw." She said. "They're mobilizing as we speak and we'll be ready to advance in a few hours."

"Good." Julius smirked.

"And?" Nonette asked, curious. "How did things go on your end?"

"Everything is proceeding as it should." Julius told the knight. "Construction of the 'Ark' is already underway and will be done by the time we return from Warsaw." He then turned to see a white and blue Knightmare being loaded onto the ship. "Ah, there it is. I almost feel bad for whoever crosses your path while you're operating that."

"Heheh, come on, you're making me blush." Nonette replied giddily, as she put her hands behind her head.

Julius rolled his eye at her statement. _I'm pretty sure that what I said didn't come off as a compliment._ He gave out a mental sigh. "Now then, enough lazing about." He said, as he turned around, heading towards the Leviathan's entrance. "Conquest awaits us!" He declared triumphantly, with Nonette following after him.

* * *

 **E.U., Warsaw city outskirts**

Nighttime had fallen and the Wyvern squad was enjoying dinner along with the grannies. The table had all types of dishes piled on top of it, for everyone to enjoy, as candles were also placed to provide light. Everyone was enjoying their food, with some most than others.

Ryo, who was gulping everything he could get his hands on vigorously, was being felt over on his whole torso by two of the grannies. "Keep your hands to yourselves!" He said, as he reached for the next plate and started devouring its contents.

"He's such a good eater, too!" One of the grannies said.

"He sure is!" Added the other one.

"Hands off I said!" Ryo blurted out with a stuffed mouth, as he continued to gouge down whatever food he could get his hands on, getting a chuckle out of Yukiya.

Leila and the others were also eating their food, though Akito seemed to not be as into it as Ryo, as he slowly cut his piece of meat. The blue haired teen stood with Leila on one side and Ayano on the other, the latter of which had an appetite almost as Ryo's.

"How is it, Leila?" One of the grannies asked the blond girl, who was enjoying her salad.

"It's really delicious!" She replied cheerfully.

The atmosphere was very lively with the exception of Akito, who was as gloomy as someone who had lost his puppy. Ayano, who sat next to Akito, was having fish meat, which she thoroughly enjoyed, and decided to share some of it with Akito to try and lift up his spirit.

"This is great!" Ayano said, stabbing the fish with her fork and offering it to Akito. "Akito, you've got to try this meuniere!"

The blue haired teen looked at the fish with a nervous gaze and turned away from it, looking somewhere else on the table to avoid making eye contact with it again. "I'll pass." He said, rejecting Ayano's offer, surprising her and the others.

Ayano stopped and thought for a second. "Hang on, you don't hate fish, do you?" She asked, which made him nervously gulp down.

"I can't understand people who eat this stuff voluntarily." He said, trying to keep face.

Ryo walked over to him and placed him in a headlock with a crafty smile. "What's this, Akito? You don't eat fish?!" He said, being a tease.

"Leave me alone." Akito said, not wanting to deal with Ryo's jokes.

"Then you don't eat sushi or sashimi?" Leila asked, interested to learn more about the blue haired boy's tastes.

"As if I could eat that smelly stuff." Akito said, struggling to break free from Ryo's grip.

Ayano decided to give it another try. "Come on, Akito! This is great! Open wide!" She said, as she brought the fork in front of his mouth.

Akito turned to the other side, rejecting the fish's existence. "I don't want any."

"Ayano." Ryo locked eyes with his friend, an idea coming to both of them, as crafty grins appeared on their faces. Ryo grabbed hold of Akito, who immediately began to struggle again. "Ayano, shove that fish into his mouth!" He said.

"Cut it out!" Akito protested, struggling to back away from the sea food.

"It's delicious!" Ayano said, as she moved the fish closer to his face.

"Akito! Are you okay?" Leila asked, attempting to intervene, with laughter from everyone but the victimized Akito filling the air.

After everyone had finished eating, it was time to call it a night, as some of the grannies had even gone to bed already. Leila remained to clean up the dishes from the table.

"I'm ready to turn in." The great granny said, as she slowly rose from her chair, but swayed to the side, a fall being imminent. "Oops!"

Leila rushed to grab her before she fell. "Great Granny!" She said, as she caught the old woman. "Watch your step."

Leila decided to accompany the old woman to her cabin, as she carried a lantern to light their way and held one of the granny's hands to prevent her from tripping.

"There are large rocks." Leila informed her, as they walked forward.

"All right. All right." The granny said and then looked up at Leila. "You're a sweet girl, Leila, so I'll do a reading for you." She said, gaining Leila's curiosity. "I'll tell you your future."

Once they got inside the caravan, the great granny set up her preparations for the mystical reading she was about to perform and began to chant, with Leila sitting on the ground opposite her.

The granny had placed a scroll on the ground and was shaking some strange stones in her hands. "Current preteria futurum…" She chanted over and over, making Leila nervous, until she finally dropped the stones on the scroll. She looked at the alignment of the stones and began to interpret it to Leila. "You met a witch in the forest long ago, I see." She said.

"A witch in the forest?" Leila asked, confused.

"A curse was placed upon you by that witch." The granny said, looking Leila in the eyes.

"A curse…" Leila muttered nervously, as memories started to come back to her.

* * *

She remembered. After the car crash in which her mother died, Leila had run into the snowy forest to escape the fate that befell her parents. Cold and tired, she continued to run, until, unknowingly, she stepped on a frozen lake, the ice of which gave out underneath her feet and she sunk in to the freezing water. She remembered the cold and empty darkness that enveloped her at the bottom of the lake, but she also remembered seeing someone staring at her from the surface.

"Do you want to live?" The person was a woman, evidenced by the voice. She was dressed in a pure white nun garb, as she stared down at the small Leila. She reached into the water and pulled the sinking girl out. "If you had power, could you live?" She asked, as Leila drew her breath and looked surprised at the woman, noticing her golden eyes. "I'll make a deal with you." The woman said. "Accept this contract, and while you will live in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other human."

Leila continued gazing at the woman, confused, as she also noticed locks of lime green hair underneath her hood. "A different providence. A different time." The woman said, as she then rose to her feet and pulled her hood down, revealing her face and long green hair. She gazed sympathetically at Leila, as she continued. "The power of the king will isolate you. If you are prepared for it, then use that power."

Leila then felt a strange sensation in her left eye, not knowing that it had lost its natural blue color, but instead had turned into a crimson purple with a red sigil as the iris. Her eye then turned back to normal, as she continued to gaze at the woman in front of her, not knowing what to say.

"But you are still a child." The woman said. "I will give you until you reach adulthood to make your choice." The woman said and pulled her hood back on and began to leave, followed by what seemed to be children in the same clothing as her. "Once you use it, there will be no turning back. But if you do not, it will cease to exist." The green haired woman warned the little girl, as she and the children with her disappeared into the snowy forest.

* * *

Leila remembered everything, as she gasped out from surprise. "That wasn't a dream!" She exclaimed.

"The stones say that that power can save him." The granny said.

"Save him?" Leila asked, confused. "Save who?"

"About that…" The granny said and then a blissful smile appeared on her face. "Someone dear to you." Her face then scowled. "But beware, for that power will unconsciously attract others with the same curse."

"Others?" Leila blinked, confused and somewhat frightened.

"Yes, people in who the curse has taken root, beware of them, as they mostly tend to be monster, who have lost or are losing their humanity because of the curse." The granny warned her, making Leila anxious about the future.

* * *

 **Territory between Slonim and Warsaw**

Mobile bases were deployed and surrounded the area, as countless Sutherlands were being prepared for the upcoming battle. Off to the side was a landing site with the Leviathan landed there. Julius and Nonette were already headed towards the G-1 base.

The doors of the command center opened and, accompanied by Nonette, Julius entered. The prince in black and gold was greeted by all the commanders that had gathered from the amassed force.

"Welcome, your highness!" All of them bowed, as Julius sat on the command seat, with the imperial scepter in hand and Nonette standing off to his right, with her arms crossed.

"Is everything prepared as I have ordered?" The prince asked with a cold and authoritative presence.

The commanders gulped down nervously, but steeled their nerves, as they didn't know what to expect from the infamous homicide prince. "Yes, your highness. All units are ready to deploy on your command."

"Good." Julius smirked. "We begin our advance at midnight. We will strike early in the morning before they have had a chance to organize themselves properly." The prince issued out his orders. "I want mortars in place and ready for activation."

"Mortars, my lord?!" One of the commanders paled. "But, there are civilians in the city."

Julius turned his ice cold gaze to the commander, who felt like just staring into the prince's eye could be enough to get himself killed. "So?" Julius asked in a mocking tone. "They are the fools who live under the government of idiots. If some of their lives were to be taken as a casualty during the assault, it just cannot be helped." Julius spoke sternly.

The commanders were fear struck, as they began to realize just how terrifying the man in front of them was. None had the guts to speak up again and all of them agreed to the prince's orders. "Understood, your highness."

Julius then turned to Nonette. "I want our units prepared for battle immediately." He said. "You and I will bait the fools out."

Nonette perked up and gave him a thumbs up, impatient to finally get into a fight. "You got it, Jule!" She said energetically and went to complete her orders.

The commanders also got busy with relaying the prince's instructions to all forces, as they were at their stations. Julius leaned back in his seat and entangled his fingers.

 _Now then._ He thought with a satisfied smirk on his face. _Will you come out to play, Ghost of Hannibal?_

* * *

 **E.U., Warsaw city outskirts**

Morning couldn't come any sooner, as everyone was up and about as usual, though there were a few people missing.

"Where did Ryo and Yukiya go?" One of the grannies asked.

"Beats me." Ayano shrugged. "Maybe they went to gather firewood or something."

Inside one of the caravans, Ryo and Yukiya had hooked up a bunch of holo-discs to an old PC, which Yukiya was going to use to fix their ID problem.

"Can you use such an old PC?" Ryo asked his friend.

"I'm boosting its speed with holo-discs." Yukiya said, as he was already busy typing on his tablet.

"We're in big trouble if you take too long to crack the password." Ryo smiled.

"Don't worry. "Yukiya told him with a self-assured smile. "This will give me the processing speed of a super computer."

Outside, Leila was busy washing the dishes, as she hummed cheerfully to herself. Akito, on the other hand, was leaned on the stump of one of the trees in the woods near the caravans, sitting on the grass under its shade. He was holding a Japanese dagger, as he pulled it out of its sheath to take a closer look at the blade. He took a practice swing with it, but then heard a girly cry in the distance.

"Aaah! That's my dagger!" Ayano said, as she ran over to him.

"Were your ancestors samurai?" Akito asked, looking at the blade.

"Yeah, they were." Ayano said and sat down next to him. "That's what my grandpa said."

"You were born in Europia?" Akito asked, as he continued to inspect the blade and then turned to look at Ayano.

"That's right." She said. "What about you?"

"The same." He replied.

"So were Ryo and Yukiya." Ayano told him. "It's kind of a bummer that weren't born in our nation, when it was still independent, but still…" She rose to her feet and looked at the sky with a dreaming look. "I'd love to go see Japan someday. All of us together."

Akito stood up and put the dagger back in its sheath. "Commander Malcal left this with me." He said, gaining Ayano's attention. "She said to give it to you once this operation is over."

"Why'd she do that?" Ayano asked, confused.

"She said it was because I had better odds of surviving." Akito told her with a smirk. "It's a rational decision, but I'd never let my commanding officer get killed." He said and offered the dagger to Ayano.

Ayano looked at her blade and considered something for a moment, when she looked up and smiled at Akito. "You hold on to it, Akito." Her statement surprised the teen, as he blinked a few times. "That dagger is a talisman. It's supposed to ward off evil if you have it." Ayano explained.

"Then you-" Akito was cut off before he could finish.

"You keep it, Akito." Ayano repeated herself, emphasizing that her decision was final, as her cheeks blushed. "I'm not gonna get myself killed." She said, turning her head to the other side. "I always run away, so I don't need it!" She said and ran off back to where the others were.

Back at the caravan with Ryo and Yukiya, everyone else had gathered to see what the two of them were up to. The grannies were especially surprised at Yukiya's staggering expertise in computers.

"Yukiya, you're so clever!" The grannies complimented him.

"He sure is!" Said another.

"Our IDs were deleted by someone who infiltrated the army's server." Yukiya said, as he continued to type on his tablet.

"A hacker?" Leila asked.

"No one that smart." Yukiya explained. "He's leaving tracks all over, so he's both an idiot and scum."

"So?" Ryo asked. "You recovered our ID data, then?"

"Of course. They were illegally tampered with, so I just restored them." Yukiya said, as he then turned to his companions with a crafty grin. "Plus, I left that stupid scum a gift, to teach him a lesson."

In reality, Yukiya had terminated Pierre Anou's own ID, making the idiot go through the same trouble as they did.

The man was at the check-in terminal, experiencing some unwanted issues.

"Your registration info doesn't seem to be on file." The man on the terminal spoke in a mocking manner.

Pierre Anou was grinding his teeth in frustration. "You saw me when I left!" He yelled.

"Civillians need to make arrangements through our Public Relations Department." The man on the terminal replied with a smug smile, angering Anou.

"Bastard!" He yelled out and kicked the terminal, breaking it. Then, he noticed a shadow looming over him, blocking the sunlight. He looked up to see a giant falling shell coming in fast. Without even a second to fear for his life, the mortar shell hit the area and exploded, sending a purplish smoke in the air from the vicinity where it had landed.

At the caravans, The Wyvern Squad had gathered to say their goodbyes to the grannies.

"What's that? You're going back?" The grannies asked, saddened, as they started to cry.

"You're all leaving." One of them cried.

Ayano and Yukiya looked at them with amused smiles, enjoying the act, while Leila was trying to hold herself back from crying as well.

"Grannies, thank you so much for being so kind to us." She smiled, trying to keep her tears in, getting a confused look from Ayano.

"I don't think that's why." Ayano smiled nervously.

"They're sad to see their slaves go." Yukiya smirked.

Ryo, however, had even less composure than Leila, as he burst out into tears. "Grannies, don't you go senile and forget about us!" He cried out.

The grannies crowded around him and began to feel him up. "As if we could ever forget you." One of them said.

"Not such a sweet young thing like you!" Said another.

"Yes, his rear is so firm!" Another one added.

"Grope away!" Ryo cried, apparently becoming attached to the grannies and sad to go away from them. "Grope away, ladies!"

Ayano and Leila looked at each other and shared a smile, as they enjoyed Ryo's heartfelt moment, while Akito stood off to the side with the grannies' cat rubbing its head against his foot and meowing.

The cheerful atmosphere then disappeared, as a huge blast was hard from the distance in the direction of the army garrison. Black purple smoke rose in the air, as a herald of the chaos to come, gaining everyone's attention. The quake from the impact of the blast made the grannies stutter back in fear, while the members of the Wyvern squad stared in shock at the smoke in the distance.

"That's the garrison!" Leila exclaimed, horrified. "How? Why?" She couldn't begin to understand what was going on, as she couldn't comprehend, who would attack a city with innocent civilians in it.

Another shell blast resounded in the area, as this time it had hit the camp on the other side of the city.

"Are we under attack?!" Ayano exclaimed.

"It appears so." Akito said, narrowing his eyes. "No doubt enemy bombardment."

The grannies were scared for their lives, while Ryo was seriously pissed off at whoever ruined the moment. "Damn it!" He yelled out angered. "I'm so gonna find out who's responsible for this and bust their teeth out!" He declared, as he slammed his fist into his palm.

"We have to get back to our own camp." Yukiya advised.

Leila snapped out of her trance and took charge as commander. "Right." She then turned to the grannies. "Grannies, make sure that you stay away from the city."

"What about you?" The great granny asked, concerned.

Leila turned to look at her squad and received a resolved look from each of them. "We're going to fight to protect you and this city!" She declared firmly.

* * *

 **G-1 Mobile base, a few hundred kilometers away from the city**

Julius was standing in his seat, with his head rested on his hand and the imperial scepter in the other, and was observing the smoke coming from the city.

"Shell impact confirmed! Target has been hit, your highness!" The commanders reported.

A satisfied grin placed itself on the prince's face. "Good. Now the seeds of fear have been sown." He chuckled and then rose from his seat. "My orders are as follows. All forces advance and destroy anything in your path!" Julius ordered, his command being relayed to all forces. "Now then, gentlemen." He turned to leave. "I need to prepare myself for the battlefield." He said and exited the command center.

Arriving at the hangar of the base, Nonette was already dressed in her white and black pilot suit with golden linings and purple sleeves. She entered and received a salute from all the mechanics that were working on the two units in the room. One was the white and blue humanoid Knightmare, which had a single horn protruding from its head and had two swords attached in sheaths on each side of the cockpit, and the other was a customized black Gloucester with golden linings and a crimson red cloak, equipped with two swords, a Multiplex Chaos Mine and an Anti-Knightmare Sniper riffle that could convert to assault mode .

"Yo, you guys." Nonette waved. "Are we ready to for deployment?"

"Yes, lady Enneagram!" One of the mechanics saluted. "Everything is ready. We are just waiting for his highness to arrive."

"Waiting will be no further required." Julius' voice came in, as he entered the hangar. He was dressed in a purely black pilot uniform with golden linings and crest of Britannia on the back, as it also had two pieces of fabric that went down from the waist area around the legs. The outfit didn't seem to be much different from the prince's usual attire, but it was clear that it was a battle uniform.

"Well, look at you, all suited up and ready to go!" Nonette exclaimed cheerfully.

Julius smirked, as he placed his left hand over his eye-patch and then ran it through his raven black hair. "We don't need to waste any more time." He said and went over to the black Gloucester, entering the cockpit.

"Heh. You don't need to tell me twice." Nonette said and entered the cockpit of her own machine. She plugged in the activation key, given to her by Earl Asplund, turning on the machine. She grabbed the controls firmly and grinned. "Lancelot Club, deploying for battle!" She said and sped out of the hangar at top speeds, followed by the black Gloucester. "Woo, this baby is amazing!" She exclaimed cheerfully, enjoying the speed at which the Club could go.

In his own Knightmare, Julius charged forward along with Nonette. Now, finally by himself in the cockpit, he removed his eye-patch, revealing his left eye. "Don't get ahead of yourself." He said with a satisfied smile, as his Geass glowed sinisterly. "We do have some trash to take care of."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Nonette smiled and sped up towards the city.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap. I'll be honest, the parts that I enjoyed most in Akito the Exiled were the scenes with Lelouch and the scenes with the grannies, cause they are so hilarious. If you are wondering if the grannies will meet an unfortunate end, you'll have to be patient and find out. I hope that I set up the mood of the upcoming fight properly. Anyway, next time we'll see if Akito and gang actually stand any chance against a Knight of the Round. Thank you for reading and hope you have an awesome day.**

 **P.S. Yay for Anou dying! Hated that bastard so much.**


	6. The Prince's Malice

Stage 6: The Prince's malice

* * *

 **E.U., Warsaw**

The Wyvern squad arrived in the city, only to find that chaos had ensued. The bombardment had sent all the citizens into panic, which made things a lot more difficult for the military to organize themselves to counter the attack. The fear of war had consumed everyone, as complete anarchy reigned.

"Everything's a mess." Yukiya noted, as they ran towards their own garrison.

Leila clenched her fists tightly, shocked by the situation around her, but right now, she needed to get her team to their Knightmares, everything else could come later. "We have to hurry!" She said, as they continued making their way through the hordes of terrified people.

As they reached their destination, they saw the giant crater left by the mortar shell that had hit, which caused Ayano to gulp down nervously at the devastation. Everyone was busy evacuating the area, as the anxiety of another bombardment had spread to everyone. Not wasting anytime with regulations, Leila and the others charged forward to the undamaged part of the garrison.

"Whew." Yukiya whistled, examining the damage, as they went by. "Whoever we're up against doesn't seem to kidding around." He said.

"To attack an area with civilians…" Leila frowned. "How horrible."

"This isn't the standard Britannian tactics, that we've seemed to face so far." Akito noted, as they made their way towards the center of the garrison. "The Britannians have always avoided bringing the civilians of both sides into the war, so why start now?"

"Huh?" Ryo was confused. "I don't get it."

"You're right, Lt. Hyuga." Leila nodded in agreement. "Either we're dealing with terrorists, or something has happened to make Euro Britannia attack like this."

Soldiers were running left and right, terrified for their lives, as they tried to get organized and battle ready. Leila and the others strolled over to the command center, which thankfully hadn't been caught in the blast radius. They entered inside, to find the mess of an HQ, as the officer were desperately struggling to get their forces prepared.

Leila went over to one of the officers, who looked at her questioningly, considering the fact that they were still dressed in the gipsy outfits. "Lt. Colonel Leila Malcal." She said, showing her ID. "Give me a situation report."

"Multiple Britannian forces have been spotted outside the city and are advancing fast through the forests!" The man said, trying to keep himself from panicking. "The enemy has long-range mortars stationed along with their forces!"

"So it really is Britannia that's attacking us." Leila stated, shocked at the realization. "Has evacuation of the civilians begun?"

"Yes, safe routes have already been provided before the enemy charges in, but the current chaos is slowing the process down!" The man said, as he struggled to speak to Leila and relay orders at the same time.

"We've received orders from central headquarters!" Another of the officers spoke out. "Reinforcements will be able to arrive within eight hours!"

"Eight hours?!" The other officers exclaimed. "The city won't hold out for that long!"

"Panzer Hummels have already been deployed and are setting a perimeter around the city!" Reported another of the officers. "Enemy Knightmares will be in reach within 15 minutes!"

Having a clear grasp of the situation, Leila turned to the officer once again. "The W-0's Wyvern Squad will also deploy to the front lines." Leila informed the man, who looked at her confused. "I request that the special Alexander frames be ready for deployment!" She said sternly.

Hearing about special Knightmares, the officer seemed to remember about the small unit of strange white Knightmares that were recovered from Slonim. "You want to pilot those scrap-heaps?!" The man was stunned, because of the state that the Knightmares had been recovered in from the Slonim operation. "You're crazy!"

"I will not repeat myself." Leila said, unwavering, gaining confident smiles from Ryo and his friends, while Akito waited patiently.

The officer was at a loss for words, but he didn't have the time to be dealing with the crazy woman's antics. "Fine, do as you like!" He said and relayed Leila's request to the mechanics. "Those things will be given enough work so that they can at least be operational!"

For Leila that was enough, as she was confident that her team was capable enough to cope with the handicap. "That will do." She said, turning to look at her teammates, who gave her an affirmative nod. "Thank you for your work." Leila said and she and her squadron went to get prepared for battle.

* * *

Outside the city, Sutherlands were slowly beginning to swarm up the East and West side of the city, as some had already exchanged gunfire with the enemy units. Another advantage for the imperial troops was the fact that the city was surrounded by dense forests, so the soldiers could use the woods as cover. Julius was watching the tactical screen inside his Knightmare's cockpit, as he and Nonette were approaching fast through the forest on the South side of the city.

"Your highness, our forces have engaged the enemy." The report came on the intercoms. "They aren't in full force, as you predicted. All of their units are spread out between the East and West sectors."

A satisfied smile placed itself on the prince's face. "Excellent, continue the assault." He said and then took another look at the map again. _So, they're going to use the north side as an escape route, huh._ He shrugged. _So far, the European military has proven just how pathetic it is._ "I want the mortars to target the north sector of the city and fire when I give the order." He ordered.

"Understood, my lord." The commanders acknowledged the prince's orders, ending the call.

"Hey, Jule." Nonette called on the coms, in her Lancelot, which was quite the distance ahead. "We're approaching the city walls soon." She grumbled. "Where's the enemy?"

"Patience." Julius smirked. "With the way I've set things, the Ghost of Hannibal should pop up at our location to guard the South sector, if they actually come, that is." He chuckled.

"Hmm, oh well…" Nonette sighed, but then smiled, as she spotted a small group of enemy Knightmares that were stationed to guard the perimeter around the city, using the forests for cover. "Guess, I'll have to be satisfied with just these small fry." She grinned and sped up the Lancelot.

"What is that thing?! A new Britannian model?!" The European pilots were shocked at the sight of the white and blue Knightmare and opened fire.

"Heh." Nonette chuckled, as she effortlessly dodged the incoming gunfire with the superior speed of her frame and, for what seemed like a flash to the enemy pilots, moved in, activating the Slash-Harkens on the hips and wrist of her frame, hitting them in their energy fillers, effectively decimating four of the enemy units, causing them to explode.

"What is that thing?! A monster?!" The last remaining enemy pilot exclaimed, terrified, as he desperately opened fire.

With only one of the enemy units left, Nonette was about to dash in for the kill, but a sniper round went through the energy filler of the Panzer Hummel, causing it to explode, killing its pilot.

The Lancelot Club turned to the side from which the gunshot had come and saw Julius' black Gloucester with its equipped sniper rifle in hand, from the barrel of which came out smoke.

"I could have had that." Nonette replied, sour that the prince had taken her kill.

"Hmph, you're not the only one here to enjoy themselves." Julius shrugged, as his Gloucester came up to the Club. "So, they were smart enough to put a small group of units to guard the area." The customized Gloucester disengaged its sniper rifle and moved forward through the forest, along with the Lancelot. "It won't be enough." He smirked.

* * *

Back at the garrison, the Wyvern squad had finished changing into their pilot uniforms and were about to enter their Knightmares. The Alexanders were given a lackluster maintenance, which was only a bare minimum to bring them back online, especially Akito's, which had to have its limbs melded back on.

"Alright, let's show those Britannian dogs who they're messing with!" Ryo exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

The group were about to enter their cockpits, when an emergency report came in.

"Enemy units are approaching from the south!" One of the officers reported, panicked.

"All our current Knightmares are occupied with the defense of the east and west sides of the city!" Another one said. "All evacuation routes are rearranged to go through the north sector of the city!"

Hearing about the current status quo, Leila decided on the best tactical course of action. "Let's go!" She said to her team, which all, except for Akito, cheered at their going into battle.

The team entered their cockpits and engaged the Alexanders' systems, establishing a com link between the five Knightmares.

"We shall deploy towards the south sector and keep the Britannians at bay." Leila issued her commands. She wasn't going to let the enemy invade the city while there were still innocent people in it.

All five grabbed hold of the controls, resolve strengthening their spirits and the Alexanders engaged their insect mode, moving out towards the battlefield.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

The whole W-0 had assembled in the control center, the report that Britannia had invaded Warsaw reaching them, and were desperately thinking of a way to help their pilots. Through the data feeds, they understood that the five Alexanders were operational and were most likely engaging the enemy.

"Leila…" Anna prayed for her friends' safe return with tears in her eyes.

Claus was seriously nervous about all this, as the team was struggling to get the info needed, a high-altitude observation balloon being already on its way to the battle location to provide feedback. The deputy commander, Britannian spy, was nervous about the sudden attack on a civilian populated area.

Sophie Randle and her team, on the other hand, were monitoring the neural feedback from the Alexanders, eager to see if there would be a Brain Raid as last time.

* * *

 **E.U. Warsaw**

The territories surrounding the city had turned into a raging battlefield. Gunfire echoed everywhere, accompanied by the sound of exploding Knightmares which were taken down. The European Gardmares weren't fairing that well against the mass of Sutherlands, since the former were a long-range effective unite, compared to the latter that was equipped to the bone for both long-range and close-range combat.

While all of the fighting was going on, the grannies that had taken care of Leila and her squad, had finished packing all of their belongings and straddled the horses on the carriages in a hurry to go to a safe location they knew was not inhabited. All of them were worried about their 'slaves', but they retained hope that they would be alright.

As the elder granny was helped to get in the carriage, she couldn't help but get a really anxious feeling, as if something was telling her that all of them were in the presence of an unspeakable power. "Leila…" She muttered out in concern, as she feared that this foe was going to be too much for the poor girl and her friends to handle.

Back at the South outskirts of the city, Julius received a status report from one of the commanders at the mobile base.

"Your highness, the mortars are in place and are awaiting your command." The commander reported.

"Good." Julius smiled contently. "Do not open fire, unless I give the order."

"Understood, your excellency." The commander said and ended the call.

Julius and Nonette had slowed down their pace and were discussing strategy.

"So, how are we gonna do this?" Nonette asked, gaining Julius' curiosity. "I mean, how do we split the number of baddies we get to kill." Nonette explained, making the prince sigh in irritation.

"You can play around or kill them for all I care. Just listen to my commands and everything will go smoothly." Julius rolled his eyes, not caring in the slightest about a kill-count race. "We should be seeing enemy reinforcements by any minute now."

"You can fall back, Jule." Nonette smiled, as she cracked her neck. "I plan on taking care of things by myself."

"Hmph, do not order me around like you did at the academy." Julius grumbled, annoyed at the knight's casual attitude. "Fine, I'll drop back and provide cover fire if necessary." He said and the Gloucester moved back further into the forest.

"That's ok with me." Nonette replied, watching Julius' Gloucester fall back, as she then moved her Lancelot over to a tree and made the Knightmare lean on it, conserving energy and waiting for the targets to arrive.

The Britannian forces' attack on the city was unrelenting, as more and more European units fell, thanks to the former's advantage in numbers. Citizens were running for the evacuation routes, mass panic and chaos still reigning everywhere. The fog of war had spread and had made a huge dent in whatever small morale the European soldiers had. The Sutherlands were slowly and surely pushing towards the city, as European Knightmares fell one after the other. What the soldiers currently fighting and civilians didn't know, was that the commanding officers stationed in the area were too busy thinking up a way to save themselves, rather than help their people.

Meanwhile, the Alexanders were advancing out of the city and entered the forests south of it. So far, they had not encountered any Britannian troops, which made the team anxious.

"There's nobody around here." Ryo said, confused, as he and the others continued to advance through the woods.

"Something's not right." Leila said, worried. "There should be Britannian forces stationed here."

Akito was on high alert and was keeping an eye out for their surroundings, wary of a possible ambush. He had a strange feeling in his gut, a feeling that made him uneasy that something bad was going to happen.

As they continued further, Yukiya, was the first to spot something very unnerving and stopped his Knightmare, surprising his teammates, who followed suite.

"What's wrong, Yukiya?" Ayano asked him.

"Um, I seem to have found whatever it is we've been looking for." He said, somewhat nervously, as he stared at the white and blue Knightmare he had never seen before in the distance.

The others also turned in the same direction, gaining visual of the enemy unit. The mere sight of the Knightmare leaning on the tree with its arms crossed, as if waiting for its next opponent, was enough to put everyone on guard.

"Is that a Britannian unit?!" Ayano asked, nervous, as she and the others brandished their weapons, aiming them at the Knightmare.

"Be careful, everyone!" Leila said, worried that they were facing an unknown opponent, as sweat dropped down from her face. "This unit could be highly dangerous!"

"Who cares?!" Ryo yelled out. "Let's shoot it down!" He and the others opened fire with their weapons.

Inside the cockpit of the Club, Nonette, who was previously standing in the same pose as her Knightmare, opened her eyes and a smile placed itself on her lips, a rush of excitement filling her. "They came, huh." She smiled contently, after which, to the surprise of all of the Wyvern squad, the Lancelot activated its Land-Spinners, dodging the incoming fire, which completely destroyed the tree it had previously leaned on, showcasing its overwhelming speed.

"So fast!" Yukiya exclaimed, attempting to track the white flash of a Knightmare with his sniper.

"So, is this the infamous Ghost of Hannibal?" Nonette said, as she moved in on the five Alexanders and attempted to sever their torsos by activating the four Slash-Harkens on the Club, but to her surprise all pilots managed to dodge and put some distance between them. "These guys are good." Nonette smiled. "This will be so fun!" She grinned, excited from the prospect of a good battle, as the Club took out the two short-swords sheathed on its back. The swords then turned red, putting the Alexander pilots on edge at the strange weapon.

Some distance away, Julius was monitoring the strange Knightmares with great interest. "What an interesting design concept." He said, after witnessing one of the Alexanders transform back and forth from normal to insect mode to dodge the Club's attacks. "Now then," The prince smiled sinisterly, his left eye glowing. "Let's get this over with." He engaged the sniper rifle of his Knightmare and took aim at one of the white and blue Alexanders.

Akito was having a hard time against the unknown enemy unit due to the fact that all of their units, except for Leila's, were not in their top performance. "Guh!" He groaned, after his smaller white and red Alexander was kicked away by the more powerful Lancelot Club.

"Lt. Hyuga!" Leila called out to him in concern, moving her Alexander next to his to protect it till it was able to get up.

"Tch." Ryo clicked his tongue in irritation at the Britannian Knightmare. "Why you piece of junk!" He yelled out, as he charged the Club with his assault rifle. "Ayano, Yukiya, let's scrap this thing!" He said.

"Right!" The two replied, with Ayano taking out her Knightmare's sword and charging the bigger Knightmare along with Ryo, while Yukiya engaged his sniper rifle and took aim at the Club.

"Ho? Now isn't this clever." Nonette smiled at the enemy pilots' triple formation, preparing the Club to counter their advances.

As the trio attempted to corner the Lancelot, Akito's Alexander stood up, helped by Leila's Alexander. "Are you alright, Lt. Hyuga?" Leila asked him.

"I'm fi-" Before he could finish, the red circles around his eyes appeared and forced him to tackle Leila's Alexander, saving her from a fatal gunshot which rang past them. The red circles around his eyes disappeared without him noticing it, as he stood up. "A sniper!" He said, noticing the black Knightmare in the distance, alerting the others to the presence of another unit.

"What?!" Leila exclaimed, surprised, as her Alexander, along with Akito, entered its insect mode to gain more mobility and not be hit by the black Gloucester she saw in the distance. "A black Knightmare?!"

"Damn it, things are getting worse and worse!" Ryo yelled out, as he and his friends continued to fail in their attempts to bring down the Lancelot.

In his Gloucester, Julius was a tad ticked off that his shot missed and now the enemy was alert to his presence. "So you can dodge, eh, insects." He said, annoyed, taking aim at his previous target once more, noticing that its pilot's skill wasn't on par with the rest. "Let's see you dance." He grinned and opened fire.

Leila managed to dodge the incoming gunshots, taking cover behind some trees, which were blown off by the sniper rounds, as she then continued to run around to avoid the Gloucester's attack. "I'm not afraid of you!" She declared, dodging the shots, as she advanced towards the Gloucester. "I am not going to allow you to harm my friends!"

Noticing that Leila's Alexander was charging at him, Julius snickered. "Fine." He grinned, he disengaged the sniper rifle and moved further back into the forest. "Come after me, European dog." The prince chuckled.

Leila was surprised at the fact that the black Knightmare retreated, but she wasn't about to let him get away and have the chance to get a good vantage point to use his sniper rifle again. "You're not getting away!" She said and charged after the fleeing Gloucester.

Nonette, who was having her fun with the three Alexanders, noticed Julius take away one of her opponents and was displeased. "Aww, now I'm down to only four." She sighed, but her smile then returned to her face, when she saw Ayano's Alexander making to slash her Lancelot.

Ayano attempted to slash at the Lancelot, but the superior machine used its dual MVS short swords and cut the Alexander's blade in pieces. "It can cut through steel?!" Ayano exclaimed in fear, as her Alexander entered its insect mode and ran away from the close encounter. "What are those swords?!"

"Come on, you have to do better than that!" Nonette laughed cheerfully in her cockpit, as she went to intercept the fleeing Ayano, but was stopped by the interference of Yukiya's sniper rifle.

"Got you." Yukiya smiled, as he pulled the trigger and shot the round, which was going to hit the Lancelot's energy filler and take it out of commission.

Much to his and his companions' horror, the Knightmare brought one of its hands to the area where the gunshot was about to hit it and activated its Blaze Luminous shielding system, creating a transparent green energy shield around its arm.

"Whew, you almost had me." Nonette joked. The Lancelot stood in between all of the Alexanders, like an all-mighty lion surrounded by a small pack of hyenas.

"It can deflect bullets?!" Yukiya was shocked by the features of the Lancelot.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ryo cursed, realizing that their chances of winning were continuing to drop.

"How about we stopped playing around?" Nonette said, cheerfully, combining her two MVS blades into a single dual bladed lance, which the Lancelot began to threateningly spin in its hands.

Akito, realizing the severe situation that they were in, was now stuck between choosing to help out Ryo and the others fight off the new Britannian model or take down the black Gloucester.

"Leila, where are you?!" Ayano said on the coms, informing their commander that they could seriously use all the hands they could get.

"I'm giving chase to the black Knightmare unit." Leila informed her comrades, as she continued to follow the Gloucester.

"Guess, we'll have to manage on our own." Yukiya shrugged, sweat dropping down his face, as he stared down the Lancelot.

"I'll return immediately- What?!" Leila exclaimed, surprised from the sudden turn of the Gloucester, which took out one of its swords and was about to run it through her Alexander.

"You're mine!" Julius declared, plunging the blade into the Alexander, which barely avoided a fatal puncture by dodging to the side, but suffered the loss of its right arm.

"Leila! Oi, are you alright?!" Ryo called on the coms, but didn't receive an answer, due to the fact that the blond commander was currently occupied with staying out of harm's way. "Damn it!" He cursed, as he then also saw the Lancelot advance at top speed, causing the Alexanders to spread out in their insect modes. "Akito, go and help out Leila!" Ryo said, as he opened fire at the Club, which deployed its Blaze Luminous once more, nullifying his attack. "We'll manage this beast somehow!"

His choice made for him, Akito dodged the incoming slash from Nonette's Lancelot and kicked it back, transforming into insect mode and rushing in the direction in which Leila had followed the black Gloucester. "Understood." He said and ran off at top speed.

"Hey, no running away!" Nonette said, attempting to intercept the fleeing Alexander, but was stopped in her tracks by incoming gunfire from the other three.

"Your fight's with us!" Ryo yelled out, challengingly.

"Shoot." Nonette sighed, further disappointed that she lost another of her targets. "Jule, you've got another bogie heading your way." She informed the prince, as she returned her attention to the other three Alexanders.

Further into the forest, Leila was struggling to hold off the black Gloucester, which was assaulting her smaller frame with its sword slashes.

"Hmph, let him come." Julius replied to Nonette, as he continued to attack the Alexander. "It won't change a thing."

Dodging another one of the Gloucester's slashes, Leila saw an opportunity to take aim with her riffle at the enemy unit. "There!" She motioned to open fire at the black frame, but it took out its other sword, slashing Leila's rifle in pieces before she could fire. "Ugh!" Leila attempted to dodge out of the way, but the larger Knightmare stabbed one of the Alexander's legs into the ground and kicked it away, separating the torso from the leg. "Guh!" Leila groaned inside the cockpit, the fall shaking her up.

"How pathetic." Julius said, taking back the blade with which he had severed the Alexander's leg and slowly approaching the downed frame with two swords in hand. "It's over for you!" He grinned, as he was about to stab the cockpit of the downed Alexander, but his blades were then intercepted by the tonfas of the white and red Alexander. "Huh?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise, not expecting the other unit to arrive so fast.

"Lt. Hyuga!" Leila exclaimed, relieved upon seeing the blue haired Japanese's Knightmare.

Akito pushed back the Gloucester, which backed up a few feet. "Commander, are you alright?" He asked, keeping his attention focused on the black unit in front of him.

"Yes, but my Knightmare is down and I can't get out of the cockpit." She replied, trying to force the hull of the cockpit open, but was unable to, because the ejection device was damaged from the fall.

"I see." Akito said and readied his tonfas, set on protecting his commander. "I will take care of this."

In his cockpit, Julius was furious that he was intercepted by a lowly European soldier. "Why you insignificant little…!" He growled angrily, brandishing his Knightmare's swords. "You'll wish that you stayed with the other fleas!"

The two Knightmares exchanged blows, clashing their blades several times. Akito used his frame's superior mobility to outmaneuver the Gloucester, but was surprised that the pilot he was facing currently, compensated his machine's faults with pure piloting skill, blocking each and every strike the blue haired soldier attempted.

"This one's tough!" Akito groaned, as he continued to exchange blows with the enemy unit.

Back with the other three members of the Wyvern Squad, the Lancelot was giving them a run for their money.

"This thing is handing our asses to us!" Ryo exclaimed, frustrated that whatever tactic they tried, they could not take down the Club.

"We've got to hold out until Akito and Leila return!" Ayano said, realizing just in how much trouble they had gotten into.

"I wonder if we'll be able to last that long?" Yukiya chuckled nervously, as the three Alexanders stared off against the Lancelot which had taken them down time and time again.

In her cockpit, Nonette was having a blast. "Is that your all?" She asked cheerfully. "Come on, I expected more from you guys." She said and charged the three Knightmares again.

Akito wasn't fairing much better against the black Gloucester, even though his machine was supposed to be superior. He clashed with the enemy unit once again, after which he jumped back to put some distance between them.

"Well, aren't you a nimble bug." Julius smirked, taking out his sniper rifle, which changed into assault mode, and began firing at the Alexander, which dodged from side to side. "You should feel honored that you get to die at my hands!" The prince laughed, as he continued to fire at the smaller Knightmare.

"Akito!" Leila called out in concern for him, seeing the black Knightmare's assault.

With each shot, Akito was coming closer and closer to being hit, as his machine's hindered performance wasn't allowing him to dodge as effectively as it usually could.

Julius grinned sinisterly, as he got an opening for a sure kill. "Die." He said and fired at the Alexander.

In that moment, the red circles around Akito's eyes appeared once more, making the Alexander dodged the incoming fire, costing it part of its face-plate, while its pilot chuckled maniacally. "Die." He said, after which he savagely charged for the Gloucester, surprising the prince.

"What?!" Julius exclaimed, using one of his swords to block the incoming attacks. "Where did this sudden rush of strength come from?!" He growled, as he discarded his rifle for his second blade, struggling to keep the berserk Alexander at bay.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

"It's happening again, Dr. Randle!" Joe Wise informed his superior. "Something is causing Akito's conscience to synch with the other three!"

"Monitor the Brain Raid and make sure that we get as much data as we can!" Sophie told her subordinates, who got to work. I'm going to get to the bottom of this for sure. She thought.

* * *

 **Warsaw battlefield**

Nonette was surprised by the sudden change in her three adversaries, as the three of them seemed to have gone berserk, the Alexanders lunging at her Lancelot in an attempt to pin it down and maul it. "You guys sure got feisty all of a sudden." She laughed, as she dodged the savage frames.

"Die!" Ryo yelled out, under the influence of the same power as Akito. His Knightmare jumped at the Lancelot, with the intention of slashing it with his axe.

"I don't think so." Nonette smiled, as she blocked the axe with her dual-bladed MVS, putting the Alexander off-balance and grabbing one of its legs, forcefully bringing it crashing down to the ground. "One down." She said and turned her attention to Ayano's Alexander, which was about to ambush her from behind.

"Die!" Ayano yelled out, as she tackled the Lancelot, but the bigger Knightmare stood its ground, grabbed the smaller frame by the shoulder and severed its lower half with its MVS blade.

"Two down." Nonette said, dropping Ayano's Knightmare to the ground, after which she activated her Blaze Luminous to deflect Yukiya's attacks.

"Die!" Yukiya laughed, as he continued to fire away.

"What a troublesome bunch. I wish we could've played a little more." Nonette sighed, as she tossed her MVS like a spear towards the last Alexander, which dodged out of the way, but soon found itself open to an attack from the Club's Slash-Harkens, which severed its limbs. "And last one down." Nonette said cheerfully, stretching her arms.

With their Knightmares completely devastated, Ryo and his friends began to come to their senses from the strange state they were in, since the neural transfer devices were damaged from the beating they took.

"It happened again…" Ryo muttered, as his senses came back to him, realizing that his Knightmare was down for the count. "Ah, damn." He cursed, punching the wall of his cockpit, after which he exited out of the cockpit and came face to face with the triumphant Lancelot Club, seeing Ayano and Yukiya leaving their own cockpits. "Shit." He tensed his fists, knowing that they were done for.

"Hey, you three!" Nonette's voice came on the speakers of the Lancelot, surprising the three Japanese. "I'd stay put if I were you, cause otherwise I'll have to kill you."

 _A woman?_ The three elevens thought, confused, but did as they were told and did not move from their positions.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

"Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya's devices are down!" Kate informed the rest of the team. "BRS link down!"

"What?!" Anna exclaimed, terrified. "Have they been defeated?!"

"Dammit…" Sophie cursed, as she was unable to get any data.

"But, Akito's unit is still going strong!" Joe said, reorganizing the data on his screen.

* * *

 **Warsaw battlefield**

While the Knight of the Round had successfully managed to defeat her three opponents, the same could not be said for the prince of the empire, as Julius was having trouble holding down the berserk Alexander.

"Die!" Akito yelled, as his Knightmare jumped in the air, performing a spinning slash, which the Gloucester attempted to block with one of its blades, resulting in the black Knightmare losing one of its weapons, as the sword flew a couple feet away.

"How dares someone like you…!" Julius growled, his anger reaching its boiling point for having been on the ropes against a European nobody. "How dare you think that you are worthy of actually besting me, dog?!" He yelled out, activating his Geass, the invisible red energy field overlapping the berserk Alexander, which stopped dead in its tracks. "Heh." Julius smirked.

"What happened?" Leila, who was still trying to get out of her cockpit, noticed the sudden stop of Akito's Alexander and became confused.

Inside his cockpit, Akito's whole body was shaking, as his face distorted in fear. The red circles around his eyes seemed to dim down, making way for the more powerful Geass to take hold on the blue haired teen's conscience. He could see them, his whole dead clan and fallen comrades staring grudgingly at him, which made his whole body stiffen, as sweat drop down from his face.

"Everyone…" Akito said nervously, his heart beating so hard that it could burst out of his chest.

"Akito," From the huge crowd of people gathered in front of him, Akito's mother came forward, baring the same resentful look on her face. "why did you live and not any of us?"

The words bore down deep into Akito, like daggers, sending chills down his spine, as he began to look around for a possible chance to run away, but saw that he was surrounded. "No… you're wrong…" He muttered, his self-control barely withstanding. "I didn't want to…"

"Yeah!" One of Akito's fallen comrades said angrily. "With what were you so special that you got to live instead of any of us?!"

"You don't have anyone or anything to fight for, so why was it you?!" Another one spoke out.

As everyone surrounded him, Akito trembled, not knowing what words to say, or if there were any for that matter. He was so afraid from the judgement of the deceased that he curled into a ball inside the cockpit, not realizing that what he was seeing was just a foreign force playing with his mind's sense of fear.

"I'm sorry." Akito muttered, as tears began to form in his eyes, afraid from all of the dead that surrounded him. "I'm so sorry…" He started to cry.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

"What in the name of science is this?!" Joe Wise exclaimed, utterly horrified, gaining everyone's attention. "It looks as if Akito's conscience is overlapping itself, as if one of his senses is trying to dominate!"

"Huh?" Sophie Randle was at a loss. "What do you mean Joe Wise?"

"It's almost as if his sense of fear is consuming any other rational part of his ego!" Ferilli Baltro exclaimed, taking a look at the screen.

"But that's impossible!" Sophie argued, not understanding anything of what was going on.

The other members of the unit were too nervous and tense to distract the scientists from their work, as all of them worried about what was going on at Warsaw.

* * *

 **Warsaw battlefield**

"Ahahahaha!" Julius laughed, knowing that his Geass had taken effect on the pilot of the Alexander. "Welcome to your hell!" He continued to laugh, as he then made his Gloucester pick up its second sword from the ground and slashed off all of the Alexander's limbs, bringing the torso of the Knightmare on the ground.

Inside, Akito was experiencing such trauma that his conscience wasn't going to be able to take much more of the psychological torment before his mind broke. Then, as he felt like he would be crushed by his sense of fear, a familiar feeling welled up inside him.

"Die." His older brother's words echoed throughout the whole illusionary scene that Akito was seeing.

The red circles returned to Akito's eyes, who then watched awe struck, as the illusions disappeared from his sight, like dust being blown away into the wind. Taking a deep breath as if he had been suffocating, Akito came back to his senses, the red circles around his eyes disappearing, as he found himself inside his Alexander which was downed.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

"He's stabilizing!" Joe exclaimed happily. "Akito's neural state has returned to normal!"

Sophie let out a breath she had been holding for a while. _Just what in the world is going on out there?_ She thought, baffled by the abnormalities that had happened.

* * *

 **Warsaw battlefield**

"What… was all of that?" Akito asked, still shocked from what he had experienced. He figured that what he experienced was something similar to his brother's power, the fact of which sent chills down his spine. His attention was then moved to the video screen of his Alexander, as he saw the Gloucester place its two swords next to the neck of his Knightmare's head, about to behead it.

Julius, however, was hesitating to decapitate the white Knightmare, as he had felt when his Geass no longer had a hold on the pilot's conscience, which made him curious. _Is he dead inside there?_ He wondered, confused from how his Geass had suddenly stopped working. _No, that's not the same. It felt different than to how I usually use my left eye._ As he pondered, he saw the pilot of the other Alexander get out of her cockpit and run over to the Knightmare in front of him.

"Lt. Hyuga!" Leila called out to Akito, as she was finally able to activate the hydraulic pistons on the cockpit, allowing her to make her escape, which drew both of the other pilots' attention to her. She ran over to the downed Alexander, while Julius gazed at her curiously, also keeping in mind what she said.

 _Hyuga?_ Julius thought, curious, as he put his eye-patch on. _Could it be…?_ He continued to observe the blond female run over to the cockpit of the Alexander, which opened, revealing a blue haired pilot, who seemed to be the same age as the prince.

"Lt. Hyuga, are you alright?" Leila asked him, worry clearly written on her face, as he went down from the cockpit, with Ayano's dagger in hand.

"I'm fine somehow." He said. "Commander, we have to make a run for it!"

Just before they were about to do so, the Gloucester's hatch opened, drawing the two's attention, as Akito drew out the dagger and got in front of Leila to protect her. From the hatch stepped out a black haired Britannian with an eye-patch, dressed in black and gold, who looked at Leila and Akito with interest in his eye.

"Commander, be careful! This guy is dangerous!" Akito told Leila after which he turned to Julius. "Who are you?" Akito asked, hostile to the teen garbed in black and gold, knowing that the illusion he had witnessed was most likely his doing.

"Hmph, do not think yourself mighty enough to order me, weakling." Julius said, as he walked over to the shoulder of his Knightmare, staring down Leila and Akito from its height. "Besides, its proper manners to give your name first before asking someone for theirs."

Leila felt nervous at the sight of the Britannian pilot, who seemed to radiate a cold aura of arrogance and prestige at the same time. "My name is Leila Malcal." Leila spoke. "Commander of the Wyvern Squad." She then nervously narrowed her eyes at the Britannian.

"Ah, I see." Julius said, piecing two and two together. "I'll have to admit, I do not understand why your unit has the reputation of a Ghost in my military." He smirked and crossed his arms. "When you're just a unit consisting of worthless Elevens and scum Europeans."

"Your military?" Leila asked, concerned. "Are you the one in charge of this attack?"

An amused smile popped up on Julius' face. "Who knows?"

Akito wasn't about to take any chances with someone so dangerous, so he decided to call him out on what he knew. "You have that curse, don't you?" Akito asked Julius, whose features stiffened for a moment, thinking that his secret had been found out. "You're just like my brother."

The blue haired teen's words rang in the prince's head. "Brother?" He repeated, interested to learn more. "You are Hyuga, correct?"

"Akito Hyuga." Akito informed the Britannian of his name, which made his adversary smile.

"Ah, I understand now." Julius smiled, figuring out why the Ghost of Hannibal hadn't been eliminated back at Slonim. "You are related to Shin Hyuga Shaing, aren't you?"

"What do you know about my brother?" Akito asked, growing warier with each passing moment.

Julius mused the implication that Shin could possess a Geass of his own, which certainly would make things tricky, as he had no information on his power and thus did not know how to counter it. Still, the fact that he was now speaking with the man's younger brother informed the prince a lot about Shaing's personality. "We've met once." Julius replied, after which he received a call on the coms from Nonette.

"Jule, I'm all done here." She said, as she held Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya at gunpoint, since the three teens had exited out of their Knightmares. "These three are out for the count. What should I do with them?"

Seeing this as an opportunity to use hostages to wrangle his current companions for more information, Julius decided on his orders. "Do not kill them yet." He said, making sure that Leila and Akito heard him. "For now wait till I give you further instructions and do not let them get away."

"M'kay." Nonette replied and ended the call.

"What was that?" Leila asked, concerned.

"It would seem that my subordinate has effectively disarmed your friends. I've taken them hostage and their fate now rests in your hands. If you want their lives spared, I'd consider listening to what I say." Julius smirked at the two in front of him, after which he crossed his arms and leaned on his Gloucester's head. "Well, now that we have some time, let's converse."

Leila was in a deadlock, unable to figure out a way to get out and the fact that the black haired Britannian still made her feel very uneasy did not help. "What do you want?" Leila asked, thinking that if she complied with the pilot's demands he wouldn't kill her friends. "I'll listen to your demands, so do not harm our friends, alright?"

Julius started laughing at Leila's claim, which unsettled the girl even more. "Just what type of gullible person are you, to say something like that?" The prince's laughter died down, as he then stared at Akito, analyzing the blue haired teen. One of the things Julius hadn't figured out about his Geass was just what exactly did it make his targets see. He had figured that it was surely their biggest fears, as his power was even capable of driving people insane or make them commit suicide just to escape the hellish illusion. Yet, this boy remained, surviving his Geass' grasp on his conscience. _How interesting…_ Julius thought. "So, you want me to not harm your friends?" He smiled, starting the conversation, continuing to analyze Akito, who was staring back at the prince with a hostile gaze. The one-eyed prince came to the conclusion that letting the European soldiers go could serve as a way to solidify his plan to seed fear into the hearts of all Europeans, coupled with the fact that Akito Hyuga had survived his Geass, which meant that he had to keep tabs on them to ensure his power's secrecy. "I could let you go…" He mused out loud. "Though I wonder how much time there's left?"

Leila couldn't believe what she had heard. "What do you mean?" Leila asked, wondering what the Britannian was going on about.

"I am well aware that reinforcements from your main force are bound to arrive within the next hours." Julius said, surprising Leila that he knew so much. "But, I plan on taking full control over this area, before they even have the chance to get here." He said, smirking as he locked gazes with Akito, thinking that the teen could be useful for manipulating Shin. "At first I thought of you as nothing more than just trash that was somehow better than the rest, but now you've become valuable pieces to have and I need you to stay alive till you're no longer useful."

"Just who are you and what are you up to?" Leila asked, confused.

"I'm glad you asked." Julius said, as he stood up and smirked. "Twelfth prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and new commander of all Euro Britannia military operations, Julius vi Britannia, at your service." He said, introducing himself.

Leila's eyes widened in horror the moment she heard the prince's name. "The monster of the imperial family…!" She gasped, shocked that she was face to face with such a dangerous being.

The prince's smile faded away upon hearing how Leila referred to him. "Is that how I'm perceived by other nations?" He raised an eyebrow at Leila and Akito. "How annoying."

"So, the Britannians sent their resident psychopath to lead their armies." Akito smirked at the prince.

"Ho, you've got quite the mouth for a lowly dog." Julius replied, irritated by Akito's remark. "Normally I would have enjoyed beating you down to the ground, but I'm in a good mood right now." He said, crossing his arms.

* * *

Inside the city, mass hysteria still ensued, which wasn't helped by the fact that the Britannian forces were pushing further. People desperately crowded around the evacuation routes, but were piling up, because the military were not permitting them to leave.

"No one is to leave this city!" Said one of the officers.

"Screw you!" People from the crowd roared, revolting, which resulted in the soldiers to open fire and kill a few of them, making the others too afraid to do anything.

"Everyone is to stay and face the Britannian threat!" The officers lied, as they were secretly gathering as much resources as possible to bail the city.

* * *

Back with the Lancelot, Nonette was conversing with her captives, the three of which looked like they were expecting the death penalty.

"The hell are you, crazy woman?" Ryo yelled at her.

Nonette laughed cheerfully at his remark. "You've got spunk, for a kid." She said. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Ryo." Ryo said, crossing his arms. "Ryo Sayama."

"Oh? An Eleven?" Nonette said, surprised. "What about your friends?"

"I don't see how our names concern a Britannian pilot!" Ayano argued.

"Come on, don't be like that." Nonette smiled. "Loosen up a little and have some fun, the battle's over, you've lost."

"Heh." Yukiya snickered, surprised at their adversary's personality. "You're quite different from other Britannian pilots." He said, after which he introduced himself. "I am Yukiya Naruse, a pleasure meeting you."

"Yukiya! What are you doing making friends with the enemy?!" Ayano yelled at him.

"Ayano, don't be a drag." Ryo told her, seeing that they were stuck in whatever was going on.

"You too, Ryo?!" Ayano grumbled. "Urgh, fine! Ayano Kosaka! That's my name!" She yelled out, irritated.

Nonette laughed over the speakers, finding the trio hilarious. "You guys just crack me up!" She said cheerfully. "But that's how friends should be."

"We introduced ourselves, so why don't you?" Yukiya asked with a friendly smile, thinking that if the enemy wanted to be friendly, that would surely boost their chances of getting out alive.

"Ah, you're right!" Nonette exclaimed, as she then opened the cockpit of the Lancelot Club, stepping out on the shoulder of the Knightmare, surprising the three Elevens, who judged by her pilot uniform that she wasn't just any pilot. "The name's Nonette Enneagram, Knight of Nine." Nonette introduced herself with a friendly wave.

The three Elevens' jaws dropped the instant they heard the woman's name. "A Knight of the Round?!" They exclaimed in surprise.

"Why is a Knight of the Round here?!" Yukiya asked in concern, his face having gone nervous.

"Huh?" Nonette blinked in confusion. "That's simple." She said with a straight face. "I got bored back at the office."

Her answer shocked the trio even more. "HUH?!"

While Nonette was conversing with the three Elevens, Akito and Leila were being confronted by Julius. The two European soldiers were faced with a prince of the empire that they were at war with, having fallen in his trap.

"Why would you attack a city full of innocent civilians?" Leila asked him, on guard now that she knew who she was dealing with.

"Hmm?" Julius turned his attention to her. "Innocent?" He asked, his tone getting darker and his features scowling. Had his siblings not been innocent? Then why were they now gone from the face of the world? With what did others deserve to live more than they had? "All humans are born into this world to struggle against death. It doesn't matter if you're strong or smart, death will come to you eventually, whether you deserve it or not." He said. "Besides, there are things more important than a handful of human lives."

"You're wrong!" Leila argued back. "All people deserve to live!"

"What idiotic nonsense." Julius grit his teeth in anger. "Cling to your ideals as much as you want. In the end, they'll be nothing but ashes, burned by the reality of the world." He said, after which he grinned. "It doesn't matter though, your time is up and the decision was never in your hands to begin with." The prince said, after which he activated his coms, contacting the commanders back at the base. "Link into the enemy's communication line and warn them that if they do not surrender, the whole city will be leveled to the ground!" He ordered.

"What?!" Akito gasped, surprised from the sudden course of action.

"You can't!" Leila yelled out, terrified at just how many lives were at stake.

"Oh? And who's going to stop me?" Julius replied, mockingly.

"You're just like my brother." Akito said. "Blinded by your own vision of the world, destroying anything that gets in your way." Akito scowled at the prince, clenching his fists.

"Is that so?" Julius smirked at the blue haired teen. "Unlike your brother, Akito Hyuga, I never fail." The prince raised his hand towards Leila and Akito, as if attempting to grasp then in his clutch. "Not you, not your brother, not anyone is going to stop me from achieving my goal."

Julius then received a report from one of the commanders. "Your highness, the enemy has agreed to surrender and withdraw any further resistance. But there's a condition."

Julius frowned. "They're not exactly in a position to make demands, but fine, let's hear it." Leila and Akito were interested in how the prince's conversation would turn out, as they stood and listened closely.

"They want us to allow the safe evacuation of all commanding officers." The commander said, sounding somewhat confused himself.

"What?" Julius said, not believing what he was hearing, after which he burst out laughing. "The scum are going to sacrifice their territories and people, just to save their hides?" He laughed. "This is priceless. Sure, let the cowards run away to their heart's content."

"Understood, your highness." The commander ended the call.

Leila stood speechless, shocked by what she had heard. "No, they couldn't…" She felt crushed by the cowardice of her own country's military. Soldiers, who were meant to fight for the people's freedom, abandoned the ones they fought for, only to save themselves.

"Sadly, an expected development." Akito noted with a serious expression.

Julius smirked at the two. "I have to say, I'm greatly disappointed by the E.U. military. I expected at least somewhat of a challenge." He shrugged. "Well, I guess I had my hopes too high for a government led by fools. I wonder how the citizens will react to the news that their own military abandoned them. I'm sure that they will find Britannia a much better government." He chuckled.

Leila, who's spirit had suffered a heavy blow due to the military's betrayal of the people, was now left without even an ounce of hope that they could turn the situation around. "We've lost." She muttered, feeling completely defeated.

Julius grinned at the sight of the blond commander's crushed spirit. "What now, miss Malcal?" He asked, taking great pleasure in further tormenting the blond girl. "Will you stay and fight a lost battle or will you run away like the other cowards?"

Leila looked up, her eyes filled with dread, as she gazed at the prince, who had completely stripped her of any means to fight back. Akito, seeing that and the fact that the prince wasn't making an attempt at killing them, decided that it was best they ran away. "Commander, we have to leave." He said, grabbing her by the hand and running away, while Julius stared at them with a satisfied smirk. _That guy is too dangerous._ Akito thought, as he ran away with Leila. _Julius vi Britannia…_ He thought about the prince. _Something's not right about him._

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Ghost of Hannibal." Julius sent them off with a mocking laughter. _Akito Hyuga,_ He thought with a smirk. _Go on, struggle against me. In the end, you are just another hindrance in the way of my revenge._ His smile disappeared, being replaced by an emotionless frown, after which he called Nonette, entering the cockpit of his Gloucester. "Nonette, it's me."

"Oh," Nonette perked up, having been bored to death by waiting for so long. "What's up, Jule?"

"We've taken over the city." Julius informed her, as he activated his Knightmare and headed towards the city. "Forget about the three idiots with you and rendezvous with me at the city center."

"Oh? We won already?" Nonette exclaimed, surprised at how fast everything had happened.

"I'll explain when we meet up." Julius told her.

"Well, alright, I'm off then." Nonette said and ended the call, after which she spoke to the three Elevens. "You're in luck." She said cheerfully. "I have to let you go." She then laughed, confusing the three pilots. "Although I was planning on doing that from the beginning." She said and then entered the Lancelot, activating it and engaging its land-spinners. "I had a blast fighting you guys, so make sure that you don't die till next time we meet, alright?" The knight of Nine said over the speakers and dashed towards the city.

"What the hell happened?" Ryo asked, as he and his friends watched the Lancelot disappear into the distance. Ayano and Yukiya were equally confused, as the latter then tried reaching Leila and Akito over the coms.

"Oi, Akito, can you hear me?!" Yukiya said, checking if he would receive a reply, making him and the others worry if Leila and Akito had been killed.

The nervous silence was broken by Akito's reply. "We're alive, but our Knightmares are down for the count." The blue haired soldier said, as he continued to run back for the city along with Leila.

"What's going on here?!" Ryo asked, pissed off that he couldn't understand anything of what was happening.

Leila, who was still trying to get her bearings together from the dreadful encounter with the Britannian prince, gulped down bitterly before she spoke. "We've lost the battle." She said through pants, her sizable breasts not really helping her with running faster, as she and Akito continued on. "The military has given up the city and are retreating."

"What?!" Ayano exclaimed.

"Bullshit!" Ryo yelled out, furious. "Those bastards are going to leave the innocent people behind?!" He growled, thinking about the grannies that had taken them in and how their lives were in danger.

"As regrettable as the situation is, we have to evacuate along with them." Leila continued to pant. "Head for the city gate, we'll rendezvous there." She said. "The person in charge of all this is too dangerous for us to continue to resist."

Clenching his fist in irritation that they weren't capable of doing anything, Ryo then let out a defeated sigh. "Yeah, I know what you mean." He said, as he thought of the Knight of the Round that had crushed them effortlessly and could've killed them at moments' notice. "We bit off more than we could chew this time." He said, after which he resolved himself to not lose again against the Britannians. "Alright, see you at the city gates." He said and cut off the call, turning to his friends, who were wondering just who stood behind everything. "Ayano, Yukiya, let's go!" He said.

"Right!" Both of them replied and the trio took off to meet up with the other two members of their squadron.

* * *

Back at the city, Sutherlands had already arrived and the Britannian forces were starting to take occupation of the city. Civillians withered in fear at the sight of the machines, as they stood still in fear for their lives. The Britannian soldiers had begun to round up all of the citizens in the center of the city, per orders of their commanding officers. Information about the military's betrayal wasn't yet revealed to the public and Julius planned to use this to his advantage.

The prince had exited out his Knightmare, which stood parked along with the Lancelot Club in the city center, surrounded by countless Sutherlands and Britannian soldiers. Julius and Nonette were currently standing in front of what was the city's largest church. He watched as more and more people gathered, fear evident on their faces from not knowing what would happen, crowding in front of the church. Standing next to him was Nonette, who too had exited out of her Knightmare and was waiting to see what Julius had in mind.

The twelfth prince watched with great pleasure all of the terrified faces among the crowds, as he waited for the right moment to begin his game. "Any minute now…" He chuckled to himself.

While all of this was happening, the European soldiers were being loaded into their evacuation transports, supervised by sneering Britannians, who mocked the cowardice of those trash.

The Wyvern Squad had managed to gather in front of the city, out of breath because of the long run.

"This shit's gone to hell!" Ryo yelled out through pants, referencing all of the Britannnian Sutherlands in the city.

"Yelling about it isn't going to help the situation!" Ayano yelled back at him, panting as well, trying to catch her breath.

Yukiya, however, was more interested to hear what had happened with Leila and Akito, who were as tired as the rest of them. "So," He panted. "who's the big fish running the gig?"

Leila scowled at him for putting it in such a manner, but before she could reply, one of the Sutherlands came up to them aiming its riffle at the five pilots.

"State your names and occupation!" The pilot ordered, prompting the five soldiers to raise their hands in the air.

"I am Leila Malcal, Commander of the Wyvern Squad." Leila replied sternly, trying to remain fearless, though deep down this whole situation was eating away at her confidence not only as a pilot, but as a commander as well.

The Britannian pilot stood silent for a second before checking a list on his screen which all soldiers had received. It contained the names of the five W-0 members, which were per order of Julius to be escorted to a jet which was put on autopilot on course to Paris. "It's them…" The pilot muttered after checking the list. "His majesty's VIPs…" He grumbled, after which he spoke on the speakers to the five pilots. "You will follow me to your transport." He ordered, gaining nods of compliance from the five, after which he slowly drove his Knightmare towards the location of jet, escorting the Wyvern squad, who walked in front of the Knightmare with their hands still in the air.

Back at the city center, unrest was beginning to plague the crowd, as they wondered if they were all being gathered to be executed. For the Knight of Nine, however, it was more a matter of impatience.

"Hey, Jule, what's the hold up?" She groaned, feeling bored. Nonette was quite disappointed in the E.U. military when she heard Julius explain to her the conditions of their victory. She disliked cowardice and felt that it would've been better for the soldiers to preserve their honor and die fighting rather than running away. In her mind people like that shouldn't have been allowed to become soldiers in the first place.

Julius checked in the report from the pilot that was escorting Leila and her squad, after which he turned to Nonette. "If you're going to do something, better make it with a bigger impact." He smirked, as he then stepped forward on the old wooden podium in front of the church, which looked like something out of the middle ages, revealing himself to the crowd, who were standing surrounded by Sutherlands to prevent any form of retaliation.

The prince was handed a microphone by one of the soldiers. Speakers were placed all around the city on the prince's orders and had been wired to broadcast Julius' speech. "Attention, European mongrels!" Julius's voice echoed throughout the city, as a grin rested on his face. All eyes and ears were directed at him now.

As they arrived at their destination, the Wyvern Squad were ordered to enter the flying vehicle. As they did as they were told, the prince's voice was broadcasted for the whole city to hear, gaining the group of five's attention. Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya wondered what they were about to hear and who was the person talking, while Akito frowned at the sound of Julius' voice.

Leila, however, shuddered and clenched her fists to calm herself. The encounter with the prince had took its toll on her self-confidence and she feared that she wasn't as capable as she had previously thought she was.

Now that he had everyone's attention, the prince grinned and began his speech. "I am pleased to inform you that this city and the territories surrounding are from this moment forward under the jurisdiction of Euro Britannia." Julius said confidently, gaining quite a few terrified gasps out of the crowd around him.

Listening to the prince's voice irritated Ryo, as he spat on the ground. "Who the hell does this guy think he is?" He said, as he and the others stood and listened.

Julius was having a blast in toying with the citizens, but he figured that it was about time to raise the curtains to his performance, as a soldier came up to him and reported that the European military has evacuated the premises. "I'm sure that the reality of your defeat has shocked you," The prince said. "but the truth is that we weren't the ones to conquer this city." He declared with a playful smile, causing mass confusion. "You were dumped by your own military." Julius laughed, showcasing a digital screen of all the transports leaving the city. "Those that were supposed to protect you have left you to rot, all in an effort to save their own hides." He grinned, as he saw distress spreading through the population, which slowly erupted into an uproar from the people.

"What the hell?! How dare they?!" People yelled. "Are they screwing with us?! Those bastards!"

Leila was stunned, as the uproar from the citizens filled the whole city, the sound even reaching her and her squad. "He's going to use the people's anger to his advantage!" She said, worried that the situation might evolve into something very dangerous.

Julius enjoyed watching the people squirm, but he hadn't yet finished. "Silence, dogs!" He yelled out, causing everything to go quiet. "It doesn't feel good to be betrayed, does it?" He asked with a sinister hint in his voice. "There is only one fate for trash like them. Eternal hell!" Julius laughed, as he spread his arms out, moments after which the distant resounding fire of multiple mortars filled the air. Every living being turned their eyes to the digital screen, which then showcased the horrible sight of bombardment which desolated all of the evacuating vehicles. It had been Julius' plan to destroy all of the fleeing imbeciles all along.

Everybody watched in horror the resulting destruction. Some civilians were shocked to their core, while others felt a hint of satisfaction at the deaths of those that betrayed them. Everything was silent, until Julius began to laugh uncontrollably. "Ahahaha!" His mad laugher resounded in the city, sending chills down everyone's spine.

Leila couldn't believe all the death and carnage, as she gulped down nervously. _Why kill them?_ She thought, not understanding what was going on. _He already let them go, so why?_

Ayano was seriously creeped out by this. "What's up with this guy? Is he insane?" She said, feeling unsettled.

"No, he's completely sane." Akito said, gaining everyone's attention. "And that's what is the most terrifying."

"Oh?" Ryo raised his eyebrows, figuring out by Akito's words that the person speaking was most likely the guy that Akito and Leila had faced off. "Did you manage to catch his name?"

"Yes." Akito nodded seriously. "That person is…"

Before Akito could finish, however, Julius began to speak again. "Death awaits all, whether they be a brave warrior or a despicable coward and I am the one with the authority over it." He said, after which he smiled. "All of you are most likely wondering who I am." He chuckled briefly before introducing himself. "Rejoice, commoners! I, twelfth prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Julius vi Britannia, am your new master." Julius began to laugh triumphantly, indulging in the ecstasy of his obsolete victory.

Shocked gasps resounded everywhere, as people were surprised at the fact that they were attacked by a prince of the empire. The Wyvern squad, however, realized that their fight, no, their war just got one hell closer to a complete loss. They were up against one of the empire's strongest, a fact, which Leila contemplated while their transport rose in the air and took off towards Paris.

 _Cling to your ideals as much as you want. In the end, they'll be nothing but ashes, burned by the reality of the world._ Leila recalled the prince's words to her. She clenched her fist in defiance. For her those were the words of a person, who had either gone insane or was forced to reject the world by something that happened in his life. _You're wrong…_ Leila thought, biting her lower lip. _I do not know what is the method to your madness, Julius vi Britannia, but I won't lose to you ever again!_ She thought, resolved to prove that she wasn't wrong in the face of the prince's cruel ideals. _I'll prove that you are wrong!_

Ryo, who was sitting in between Ayano and Yukiya, was super pissed off that they lost and to a Britannian prince to boot. Even so, he couldn't help but hope that the grannies got away safely and were alright.

Yukiya's thoughts, on the other hand, were filled with curiosity towards Julius, as he checked all available information to the public about him. _A prince, who lost everything but his own life, huh?_ He chuckled mentally to himself. _No, maybe he lost even that. How interesting._

Ayano, just like Yukiya, was thinking about the Britannian prince. She was filled with dread at the prospect that they could've all died, had it not been for Julius' whim of letting them go. She didn't like Britannians, since they very much enslaved Japan in every sense of the word, but towards the prince she didn't feel dislike or petty anger. No, it was rather an unconscious fear and deep resentment towards his power and cruelty.

Sitting next to Leila with his arms crossed, Akito had a dangerously serious look on his face. He could still recall that horrifying nightmare that he experienced during the battle and was sure that it had to be the prince's doing. _That man…_ Akito then thought of his brother, Shin. _Will he ally with the prince…?_ The blue haired teen thought. _No, that's highly unlikely, my brother wouldn't trust anyone…_ His thoughts were filled with dread at how his goal of ending his brother's insanity was now obscured by the large and seemingly impenetrable wall that stood in front of him in the image of Julius vi Britannia. The prince proved that he was dangerous and Akito knew that there wasn't a way to take him and Shin down without severe losses, a case scenario which he wanted to avoid at all cost. His gaze softened somewhat and he turned to look towards everyone else. He couldn't realize how fast these people had entered his life and become close to him, even though he wanted to throw it all away. A small unseen smile of resolve placed itself on his face. _I won't let anyone else die anymore._

Their jet took off into the sky, leaving Warsaw behind them, but their bitter memories of their defeat would remain to keep them company on their journey.

As he watched the plane disappearing, Julius grinned triumphantly. "Till again we meet Akito Hyuga." The prince said and walked away, for he would not rest until he held all of the pieces of the game in his hand. He now knew that Shin was dangerous trap, which he would have to deal with, but for Julius, there wasn't a living soul that he would allow to stand in his way. _In the end I will be the last one standing._ He chuckled, as he walked off, many tasks and preparations awaiting him.

* * *

 **So, this concludes the first meeting between Julius and Akito, resulting in Julius 1 and Akito 0 for their win count against each other. I was seriously contemplating on having Leila unlock her Geass this chapter, but I figured that it was still too early for that development, not to mention that I'm still figuring out how to explain her and Shin's Geass, given the fact that we are left with an open interpretation in the anime. Speaking of Geass, this chapter we get a little more insight on how Julius' Geass works on others with our test subject being Akito of course. I really wanted to accent on the fact how different Leila and Julius' ideologies were, despite the fact that both of them are really similar in terms of their past.**

 **Now then, on to a more pressing matter that I seriously need help with: Pairings! For the love of god, I don't know what to do with Julius in that area of character development, so I'm really open to consider any ideas that you, the readers might have. I know that it's still too early in the story, but I'd really like to sort this out in my head for my planning ahead. The only pairings that I can confirm as of right now are LelouchxC.C and AkitoxLeila, which are basically the ones in canon.**


	7. Fear and control

**Wow, it was a fast update this time around. While it's all well and good that I got some free time to write this out, sadly I cannot promise the same speed for future updates. Anyway, please enjoy.**

* * *

Stage 7: Fear and Control

* * *

 **E.U., Paris**

After Julius vi Britannia's victory in Warsaw, imperial forces surrounded the territory claiming it for the empire, before the E.U. could even wage a fight to liberate their conquered city. The Wyvern Squad had arrived safely in Paris, where they were secretly escorted to General Smilas' office for questioning on exactly what had happened in Warsaw.

"So," Smilas, sitting in his desk chair, asked with a serious expression. "Seeing as the five of you are the only remaining survivors of the siege in Warsaw, I'd really like to know the details of the failed operation."

Ryo, Ayano, Yukiya and Akito were sitting off to the side in the office, dressed in their military uniforms, with the first three playing poker, while the latter stood silently with closed eyes and crossed arms, not wanting to be bothered. Leila, who had also gotten a new uniform, stood in front of the general's desk with a morbid expression.

"We were absolutely demolished, sir." Leila said, clenching her fists. "We have evidence that imperial prince Julius vi Britannia and Knight of Nine Nonette Enneagram now reside in Euro Britannia."

Hearing her report made the general frown, as he brought his hands together, thinking on the news he was given. "The homicide prince and the ninth seat of the round table…" Smilas muttered, not liking the fact that the enemy had armed themselves with very powerful assets. "It makes sense why they would launch an attack on innocent people, with that insane brat in charge."

"That 'brat' successfully destroyed all of the thousands of soldiers stationed in the city." Ryo said from over the table.

"And he did it without breaking a sweat, too. Not to mention that insanely powerful new Knightmare they have with them." Yukiya added with a smile on his face. "Full house." He said with a mischievous smile, much to his friends' irritation.

"Come on!" Ayano exclaimed, irritated beyond belief, dropping her cards. "I almost had a straight flush too!"

"Damn!" Ryo yelled out, frustrated that he lost, dropping his card on the table.

The general ignored their comments and continued. "Now that we know who we're up against, we can be better prepared for the future." He said, after which he addressed Leila. "You must be tired from all of the things that transpired. I've arranged a transport that will drive all of you back to Castle Weisswolf."

Hearing that she would finally be able to go home, Leila smiled, finally some good news reaching her ears. "Thank you very much, general." She bowed, after which she turned around to the others. "Let's go everyone."

The four Japanese stood up from their seats and followed after Leila, leaving the general's office. Ryo was still complaining about his loss, while Yukiya made fun of him for that. Ayano began conversing with Leila over some girl's stuff, as all of them walked out. Akito, however, was thinking about his brother and feeling unease from not knowing what and when his next move would be.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg**

It was a bright day for the citizens of Euro Britannia's capital, as the sun shined gloriously over the streets filled with cheering people, who crowded the sides of the road to see the victorious return of their prince. A parade was organized to celebrate Julius' victory at Warsaw and people from all over the city gathered to cheer for the victor.

Passing by through the crowded streets in a fancy limousine, Julius soaked up the cheers of all the people, feeding his own ego. "Hahaha!" He laughed arrogantly, feeling utterly full of himself. "That's right, peasants! Worship me and sing my name! Fuhaha!" He continued to laugh, enjoying the moment.

Feeling totally bored and completely out of place, Nonette, who was sitting opposite Julius inside the limo, was trying to silence the prince's gloating by drinking vigorously from a large bottle of wine. _And here I thought his ego couldn't get any bigger._ She thought, rolling her eyes, as she continued drinking.

Eventually, they reached their destination, Caesar's Palace, where they resided. While walking through the halls of the palace, Nonette, glad that the previous ordeal had come to an end, started up a conversation with Julius.

"Hey, Jule, why did you want us to take the parts of those Knightmares that I defeated?" The knight asked, referring to the five busted Alexander frames.

"Hm?" Julius turned towards her, having expected the eventual question. "I needed those gathered, so we could send them back to the homeland for study." He explained. "Speaking of which, I want you to go and arrange all of the parts to be transported and delivered successfully."

"Me?" Nonette blinked confused. "Isn't there someone else, who could do this boring job?"

"I chose you, because I don't want to be bothered going around and doing it myself." Julius replied, starting to get irritated. "Now don't make me repeat myself!" He growled.

Nonette let out a sigh. "Fine, fine, just don't get all fussed up about it." She waved him off and went on to complete her assignment.

Julius watched her leave, feeling content that he was no longer in her presence and left for his chambers, where he intended to enjoy a relaxing bath.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

When the Wyvern Squad returned home, they were given a massive welcome back party by all of the members of the W-0. Everyone was happy to see their friends return safely, with Anna even running over to Leila and bear hugging her while crying, glad that they had returned. When the party had finally ended, nighttime had fallen and everyone returned to their quarters to call it a night.

Leila was currently sitting on her bed in her room, gently caressing her cat, Eliza, which sat in her lap, purring contently that her owner had returned. Anna was also in the room, sitting on next to Leila on her bed.

"Look, she's really happy that you're back." Anna smiled, looking at Eliza, after which she hugged Leila. "I was so scared, you know?" the purple haired girl started to sob. "I thought that you had died."

Leila smiled at her friend and hugged her back. "It's okay." She said in a gentle tone of voice. "Everyone came back home alive."

"I know." Anna said, letting go of Leila and wiping away her tears. "But I can't help but worry, when I know that you were attacked by the homicide prince of Britannia." Leila had told everyone what had happened at Warsaw and it wasn't an overstatement to say that everyone was shocked by the revelation of who stood behind the attack.

Leila looked somberly at the ground, remembering her defeat at the hands of Julius. "Anna, I know that there are bad people in the world, but…" She paused remembering just how cold and hateful was Julius when she had said that all people deserved to live. And she believed it wholeheartedly too. In Leila's eyes, it didn't matter the atrocities one might have done, they still didn't deserve to die. "that was the first time I met someone so terrifying." Leila said, sharing her thoughts with her best friend. "It wasn't his power, intellect or skill that scared me though." She explained. "It was his sheer conviction that he was right and everyone else was wrong."

Hearing her friend's thoughts on the matter and seeing that she was deeply concerned by all of this, Anna decided to change the subject. "Still, it's wonderful that you managed to bond with the team." The purple haired girl said, trying to lift up Leila's spirit.

Brought out of her thoughts, Leila smiled cheerfully. "True." She said. "It would have been nice to live with the grannies like that forever." She said, glancing at Anna.

"But you came home." Anna said happily and shared another hug with Leila.

On the next day, the trio of Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya were strolling around the castle. They decided to go and check up on Hilda and Chloe and apologize for trashing the Alexanders while they were at it.

They entered the lab, only to see a different colored variation of an Alexander, which the two girls were currently in the process of testing out, as it had been wired up to a computer. The Knightmare was a deep blue color with neon orange stripes and green eye lids.

"Ho? Is this one new?" Ryo asked, as he and the others walked towards Chloe and Hilda, announcing their presence.

"The color's different." Ayano said, taking notice of the difference. "Ah, also, sorry for ruining the other Alexanders."

"It's alright." Hilda said and then turned her attention to the new model. "The components are the same as the previous models, but the programming has been upgraded!" Hilda informed them with a smile.

"It's movement speed is 30% faster" Chloe said happily.

"Oh, you used our combat data to do it?" Yukiya asked.

"Good eye, Yukiya!" Hilda congratulated him for guessing correctly, after which she took a sip from her cola. "Also, we were sent schematics for new weapons from the Barcelona labs."

"Weapons?" Ayano asked, interested to hear more.

"Weapons aren't our field of expertise, so we're just following the schematics to build them." Hilda explained. "And judging by what you told us the new Britannian model is capable of, you'll really need the upgrade."

"We're outputting the parts on the elements printer right now." Chloe said.

"New weapons, huh?" Ryo exclaimed, getting riled up for a rematch against the Lancelot.

"I can't wait to try them out." Ayano said, also wanting a do over of their previous fight.

* * *

 **Euro Britannian territory, Greenland**

In the hellish blizzard of snow that was Greenland, one Ashley Ashra was trekking towards his destination. The orange haired knight hated the violent cold, as he wore a skinned bear fur coat to keep himself warm enough to not bite the dust. He shaking profusely by the cold and used every ounce of willpower to make his muscles that were freezing to go on, following after an old man that served as his guide.

Ashley remembered how he got himself in this hellish place. Julius had kept his promise and gave him his orders when he had returned from his conquest. The knight had been told by the prince to travel to Greenland, where he would be given the newest Knightmare model produced by Euro Britannia and was to guard the object of interest for Julius' plan. He had accepted the order, knowing that it would get him his chance to avenge his fallen comrade, Johanne.

He continued to shake, as he slowly moved forward through the gigantic heaps of snow. His subordinates had begged him to go along with him, but he refused them and told them to stay put and await his return.

Ashley was seriously beginning to regret his decision, as he grew tired of the hellish cold and the old man not paying him any mind. "Hey, old man! How long are you gonna make me walk?!" He yelled out, furious.

"If you stop here, you'll die." The old man told him, as he turned to look at Ashley for a brief second. "If you don't want to die, then shut up and walk." He said and continued forward.

"Hey! Is that any way to address me, a Knight of the Order of Michael?!" Ashley protested, but saw that the old man ignored him and continued moving forward. "Hey! Old man!" Ashley yelled out, running after him, not wanting to be left alone to freeze to death. "Don't leave me!"

* * *

 **St. Petersburg, Caesar's Palace**

At the palace, Shin Hyuga Shaing had arrived, answering Julius' summons of him. The blue haired knight garbed in white and red now stood once more in front of the prince, who gazed at him back with a smirk as if he now thought that he had Shin as a plaything. The grandmaster of the Order of Michael would tolerate him, but to a point.

"Europia's conquest is naught but child's play to me." Julius gloated, as he conversed with Shin. "The plan is already in place and ready to be executed." He chuckled, the smirk not leaving his face, as he pointed at Shin with the imperial scepter. "The question is, lord Shaing, which side will you be on?"

Shin narrowed his eyes at the prince, but then chuckled, finding his antics amusing. "I do not know what you have planned, but I am eager to see it." He replied, bowing to Julius. "I am willing and ready to serve, your majesty." Shin said courteously. _I'll play along with you, Julius vi Britannia. You'll trip up eventually and then it will be my turn._ He thought.

"Excellent." Julius grinned, though he still kept his eye on Shin. _I know you're scheming something, but it won't make any difference to the end result._ The prince chuckled mentally, aware that Shin could betray him, which allowed him to take the necessary counter-measures. _I will uncover your secrets and then you won't be able to do anything._

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

A few days had passed after the battle at Warsaw and everything seemed to be fine with the W-0 unit. That's what Leila thought, as she walked through the corridors of the castle, but she couldn't help but notice that she hadn't seen Akito anywhere the past days and when she had gone to ask if anyone had seen him, they would say that he was in his room. And that was the blond girl's current destination.

She arrived in front of the door of Akito's room and knocked. "Lt. Hyuga." She said, announcing her visit. "Could I come in?" She asked, but didn't receive a reply. _Maybe he isn't feeling good?_ She wondered. _No, I came this far, I won't just leave without speaking to him!_ She steeled her resolve and knocked one last time on the door. "Akito, I'm coming in." She said and opened the door, only to find the room empty. "He's not here?" She was surprised. "Where could he be?" She wondered, but then an idea hit her of where the blue haired teen could be.

Said teen was sitting by himself in the woods near the graves he had built for his fallen comrades. The hellish vision from back at Warsaw still haunted him and he had spent the last days in front of the graves, grieving and apologizing to the spirits of the fallen.

"I'm sorry, everyone." He muttered with a broken expression, feeling that it should've been him on the other side and not the people who had died. He was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the rustling of bushes, which prompted him to turn around and see Leila approach him. "Commander Malcal?"

"Hello, Akito." Leila greeted him with a friendly, but concerned smile, as she walked over to him. "I figured that you'd be here." She said and pointed towards next to him. "Mind if I sit?"

"Be my guest." Akito told her, his face returning to his usual unreadable expression, as Leila sat down next to him.

Both of them sat next to each other for a couple of minutes without saying anything, which made the situation a little awkward, since Leila didn't know what she could do to make him feel better. Deciding it best to tackle the problem head on, Leila was intent on hearing what was troubling him. "Akito…" She said but was cut off by Hyuga.

"I'm scared…" Akito confessed, knowing that he would likely not be left alone until he spoke the truth. Leila looked at him curiously, as he continued. "I feel like something bad is bound to happen after times where everyone is having a good time." He said, glancing up at the sky. "It was like this that other time, too."

Akito remembered the time everything in his life went wrong as clear as day. "The moonlight was pretty, and my mother, father and the entire clan was laughing." He said, reminiscing of how everything happened with Leila listening carefully to everything he said. "Except for my brother."

"Your brother?" Leila asked, but then remembered the Britannian Knight who had piloted that golden Knightmare.

"And then everyone died." Akito said, clearly remembering the scenery of all the dead corpses and blood on the floor. "I did, too." He continued, remembering how his mother had fed him a strange pill, which should have killed him. He started to shake profusely, the images not wanting to leave his head. "But I was the only one who came back." He said, his face twisting into one of sheer terror. "When he saw that I had, my brother…" Akito continued to shake, feeling utterly terrified, as he remembered his brother's voice.

"…Akito…die…" He was ordered. "Die!"

"I was supposed to die. I should have died!" His mental state was growing more and more unstable, which made Leila nervous and worried. "I should have…" Akito started to mutter, as he gazed at his shaking hands and body. "I…" He came to a sudden stop, but then continued talking. "My brother can't be saved…" He said, as his face twisted into a grin filled with dread and desperation. "So I'm… going to kill him."

Unable to take any more of his suffering, Leila wrapped her arms around him, wanting to help him overcome all of the pain and doubts he carried. She was greatly touched that he shared his past with her. "Akito…" She said, as she kept him in her arms. "I'm really happy that you survived." She said, starting to tear up, pulling him closer to herself. "I mean, it let me meet you." Leila said, blushing, as she slowly let go of him.

Akito was confused from what he heard, as he looked up at the blushing Leila, but then his heart skipped a beat, because he understood what Leila had meant. He couldn't help but blush too, as a small smile placed itself on his face. "Commander," He said, surprising Leila. "I hope we can all go to Japan someday."

Leila smiled back at him, happy to see him feeling better. "Me too." She said, after which she took his hand. "Let's go back." She smiled.

"Yes." Akito smiled back at her and the two walked off back towards the castle, holding each other's hands.

* * *

 **St. Petersburg, Caesar's Palace, Operational Command Center**

A week had passed and the many members of noble households found themselves summoned by Julius, along with the four Grandmasters of the Four Knight Orders. Everyone stood in their seats, not knowing what to expect of the twelfth prince.

Julius sat in his own seat, which was in the center of the room, watching the info screens on the large monitor in front of him, his head resting on his left hand and the imperial scepter in his lap. Nonette was also present, standing far off to the side of the room, leaned against the wall, watching if someone decided to act stupidly and get themselves killed.

All of the nobles stood in their seats, fear struck. They had heard the many stories about the prince and his intolerance towards nobility. To them, he was an arrogant, but powerful, brat, who was aware of his strength and did as he pleased without any repercussions.

For Andrea Farnese, the Grandmaster of the Knights of St. Raphael, the prince was a man who held no regard for things such as morale and honor, which placed him low in the man's opinion of him. _What is he up to?_ Andrea scowled at the prince, who stood with his back turned to him.

Sharing in Andrea's dislike for the prince were also Gaudefroy du Villon, the Grandmaster of the Knights of St. Gabriel, and Raymond du Saint-Gilles, Grandmaster of the Knights of St. Uriel. Gaudefroy was a large muscular man with dark brown hair and beard and auburn eyes. He was dressed in a black and green uniform with golden linings and crest of the empire, over which he wore a long black cape. Raymond, however, was an old and wise man, known for being calm and calculating whatever the situation. He was bald and had a long white beard and blue eyes. The old man was dressed in a black and orange uniform, which was more ornamental than those of his fellow Grandmasters.

Out of the four, however, Shin Hyuga Shaing stood in his seat, eagerly anticipating what the prince had prepared to entertain them with.

A drum rang, as everyone except for Julius stood up and saluted to the entering Duke Velaines, accompanied by Michael Augustus. "Announcing his highness, Grand Duke Velaines!" A servant announced the duke's presence, as the man made his way to his throne and sat down. Nonette also saluted to the duke, as it was her place, as a Knight of the empire.

Julius slightly turned his seat so he could look at the duke, finding the man exceedingly boorish and pathetic.

"Prince Julius, if you would be so kind to as to begin?" The duke said to the prince.

Julius smirked, rising from his seat, with the scepter in hand. "There is no need to hurry." He said with the arrogant smirk on his face, placing his free left hand on his waist. "We will see results immediately." He then chuckled and called out everyone present on their foolishness and weakness. "Unlike you gentlemen."

Andrea and the others felt the piercing edge of his words, as they were indeed true.

"Watch as I drag a spineless Europia," Julius said, as he swung out with the scepter towards the giant screen, making his cape float from the motion. "which has avoided all-out confrontation," he placed the scepter in both hands. "onto the execution ground that is the battlefield!"

Duke Velaines scowled at the prince, knowing that there was nothing good in his plots.

"Spoiled brat!" Gaudefroy growled at the prince's mockery of him and everyone else in the room, clenching his fists.

"Restrain yourself, Gaudefroy!" Raymond scolded him, while Shin chuckled in anticipation.

"Now, let us raise the curtain on the performance." Julius said with a sinister smile. "Gentlemen, enjoy the show!" He declared, spreading his arms out to the side, the giant monitor turning on and showcasing Greenland's territories.

On the screen, a massive aircraft slowly rose into the air in the blizzard and took off.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

Unknowing of the approaching terror, Leila was having a meeting with Claus at the river garden on the table in the sunny spring day. She had prepared a tea pot and cups for both of them to enjoy, while they were conversing with each other.

"Mind if I help myself, Commander?" Claus asked, picking up his cup.

"Be my guest." Leila replied and after the man had taken a sip asked him a very important for her question. "How is it?" She wanted to know if she was getting better in her domestic skills.

Claus didn't understand what she had asked him for the first five seconds, after which he realized her question. "Oh, it's delicious." He nodded, after which replied nervously. "Actually, I don't know much about tea." He said and put his cup down, deciding to go down to business. "You said that you encountered a Britannian officer in Slonim?" He asked, looking off to the side, worry written on his face.

"Yes." Leila nodded. "It was a golden special-model Knightmare."

"If that's the case, maybe we should assume that the enemy knows about us." Claus said with a serious tone.

Leila was surprised to hear this. "About the W-0 squad?" she asked, wondering if the enemy had really learned of their existence.

"Because the operations we've carried out have had an impact on Britannia." Claus said.

"You don't mean…" Leila immediately thought of a prime reason why they had been exposed. "… the Ultra-long range transport?"

"Using that, we can strike anywhere on the globe." Claus said, deep in thought over the current situation and recent events.

* * *

 **E.U., Paris**

Nighttime had fallen in the capital city of the European Union and everything was going about as per usual. People were walking on the streets, driving home, hanging out with friends at night and other activities one does in a city. All of this was suddenly halted, however, when a massive blackout befell the entire city. Massive unrest began to brew amongst the citizens, who were literally kept in the dark.

"How long are these blackouts gonna last?" Asked some.

"I'm gonna file a complaint with the power company!" Complained others.

Rumors quickly began to spread about what had caused the blackout. "They say the North Sea power plant has been blown up by terrorists!"

"Terrorist?"

People began to massively check their phones and social media. "They say a video claiming responsibility has been uploaded to the net."

Almost every person with a phone searched for the video. "Hey, is this it?" A man asked, as he opened the video.

The video showcased a darkened picture with a man dressed in black sitting on a chair, with the only visible parts of him being his silhouette and the vibrant glow of three amethyst crystals and his purple eye. Behind him was a red flag on which was embroidered a clenched fist holding a lightning with the capital letters A and F on each side.

The man on the video began to speak as the video played. "Attention, citizens of the United Republic of Europia." The man said, fanning his arms out. "We are the World Liberation Front, the Ark Fleet!"

All throughout the republic the video began to play with medias trying to cut it off, but being unable to.

"Our goal is the true liberation of a people who suffer under oppression of foolish policymakers." The man on the video continued with his theatric display. People all over the E.U. watched the video, starting to feel unease. "We have destroyed your offshore power plant in the North Sea." The man said. "Here is the proof." His image was then changed to a video of the power plant in question. What happened next horrified everybody watching, as a bomb fell down on the power plant, completely decimating it.

When the video returned to the image of the darkened man, he was now standing next to another bomb, his hand placed on it. "The judgement of the gods will be passed upon those who wallow in foolish culture and live in the tranquility of decadence." The man turned to look at the bomb, his smile could barely be made out by the darkness of the video. "Soon, stars of destruction will fall on Paris." The man said and then turned towards the viewers, spreading his arms out dramatically. "Repent and mend your ways!" He said, his grin now more visible. "For that is the only way…" He said, as he raised his right arm and clenched his fist. "that you will survive!" The video cut off.

It didn't take long for mass rioting to erupt all throughout the E.U. The common people were rebelling against the wealthy. Fear had spread out like an incurable disease and had affected every single citizen of the republic. Terror and chaos were everywhere and death would be soon to follow.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

"Do you think this is true?" Ayano asked, referring to the terrorist attack.

The whole of the W-0 unit had watched the video and had gathered in the cafeteria to discuss it.

"They say there's been attacks in Geneva and Berlin, too." Hilda said, as she read from the forums online. "Do you suppose it's happening all over Europia?"

"There's panic and rioting in the cities." Sarah said, as she checked her own tablet.

"This is terrible…" Kate said.

Chloe had managed to come across another piece of news. "They say it was set off by the North Sea bombing."

Yukiya, who too was busy scrolling through social media to kill some time, wasn't entirely on board that all of this was real. "Social messaging sites are always full of bullshit." He said.

"But there are so many posts!" Ayano argued.

Yukiya smiled at her, deciding to explain to his friend. "Human beings react strongly to bad news and spread rumors without knowing if it's even true."

"Right, nothing spreads faster than nasty rumors." Hilda agreed.

"Are you saying that someone's deliberately spreading bad rumors?" Ryo asked. "Who would do that?"

A crafty smile placed itself on Yukiya's face. "Who knows." He said, though he already had a candidate for the person responsible, a certain Britannian prince that had made the mistake to let them go.

* * *

 **E.U. Military general HQ**

Gene Smilas had watched the terrorist video and honestly he was impressed by the methods used by said terrorists, though the general already had suspicions on who was behind said attack, thanks to Leila. He had gathered his most trusted subordinates in his office to report the recent updates.

"We're getting reports of Eastern Front Forces units that were facing Euro Britannia are retreating!" One of the officers reported. "That rabble is using terrorism as an excuse to abandon the front lines!"

"The 40-man committee is calling an emergency meeting, but we have intel that assembly members are fleeing Paris." The other officer reported, stepping forward along with his colleague. "They're despicable!" He frowned.

"This unrest gives us the perfect opportunity, General!" The female officer next to them said. "The people have clearly seen the weakness of the government."

"Now is the time to make your ideals a reality, General!" The officers said. "Greedy capitalists have become a new aristocracy!" They said. "We must reform the unfairness of a Europia that exploits the masses!"

"The time has come for us to rise!" The first officer spoke. "Please give the word, General!"

Smilas had taken everything into account. The war, the public unrest, the common enemy that was the aristocracy and now everything had come into place, all thanks to the Britannian prince's intervention. _I'm grateful, Julius vi Britannia._ The general thought. _Without you I would've had to wait at least ten more years till I could put my plan into motion._

* * *

 **Malcal Estate**

At the mention of the Malcals, the family, just like other wealthy business men, were in a panic over the rioters' attacks on their banks. However, Ioan wasn't concerned with any of it in the slightest, as he watched through the windows of the mansion the fires of rebellion that plundered the city.

"Burn…" He muttered, almost laughing, as he drank from the expensive champagne that was in his hand. "Let it all burn… Burn to ash." He chuckled. While he was doing so, his older brothers were having a panic attack over the dire situation. Ioan took another sip from his drink, when he was approached by one of the servants.

"Master Ioan." The servant whispered to his employer, handing him a letter. "This arrived."

Ioan, confused, took the letter and opened it. "What could he be reporting now?" He asked in annoyance, but his features immediately turned serious when he read what the letter said. "The power plant is still…!"

* * *

 **St. Petersburg, Caesar Palace**

At the control center, Julius was enjoying the results of his performance, while everyone else was deeply disgusted by his underhanded tactics. He sat in his chair, leaned on his right hand with his legs crossed and the imperial scepter in his lap. His plan had been to broadcast a fake bombing, which he would use as cover to spread panic and disorder in the uneasy European society. It was all one massive cyber-attack that hacked European systems and disabled power via the massive airship. He hadn't been such a fool as to really destroy an important resource like a power plant.

"The ideal tool for controlling people is fear." Julius smirked, knowing full well how he could get anything he wanted through fear. It was an understatement to say that everybody, sans Nonette, was having a hard time approving of the prince's tactics. "And nothing overwhelms people more than an unseen fear."

 _Scoundrel._ Andrea Farnese frowned at the prince, finding such dishonorable methods revolting.

"Duke Velaines," Julius addressed the duke. "Order all of your forces to advance." He commanded.

The duke was in shock by the prince's demand. "If we march on Europia now, countless innocent civilians will be caught in the crossfire!"

"Innocent civilians?" Julius sneered. "Do I look to you like I give a damn what fate befalls such disgusting animals?" The prince said, shocking everyone present with his choice of words. To Julius, however, there was no better way to get his point across, since compared to him, a prince of the largest empire in the world and one of its most powerful assets, with what were the ordinary people better than livestock. "One cannot achieve victory if overly concerned with the collateral damage!" Julius chuckled.

"You call the deaths of countless innocents, collateral damage, prince Julius!" Duke Velaines rose from his seat infuriated.

Julius smiled at him, the duke having fallen for his trap. "I, no, the empire is only interested in victory." He said in a mocking tone. "And let's not forget that right now, my word is that of the emperor."

The duke faltered, realizing that he didn't have a way to stop the prince's madness.

"It seems to me that you do not take his orders seriously enough." Julius narrowed his eye dangerously. "No, you harbor rebellious intent." He said, shocking the duke. The prince in black and gold stood up from his seat. "I hereby place you under arrest for treason against his imperial majesty, against me." Julius smirked, as he pointed at Velaines with the imperial scepter.

The duke went wide eyed at his accusation, with Michael behind him realizing the prince's scheme all too late. "He planned this…" He gasped.

Gaudefroy wasn't about to let the spoiled brat to have his way and make a mockery of everyone. "Damn you!" He roared, gaining Nonette's attention. The giant man walked over to Julius, who turned to look at him with an unimpressed expression. "How dare you treat his Highness in such a manner?!" He yelled, grabbing Julius by his robes.

There was a brief second in which Gaudefroy locked eyes with Julius, with the tall man feeling like he stared into an empty and cold abyss. Before things could escalate further, Nonette decided to intervene, having caught on a small twitch in Julius' hands.

"Okay, I think that's enough out of you." She said and grabbed Gaudefroy's wrist, slowly and painfully twisting it, making him scream out in pain and letting go of the prince, whose ice cold gaze was solely placed on the giant man. Nonette twisted his wrist some more, till she heard the cracking of broken bones, after which she delivered a backhand punch to the face of Gaudefroy with her knuckles, knocking him a few feet away on the ground. "Be advised that defying prince Julius is tantamount to treason." She said in a rare serious tone of voice, making the nobility around them shudder.

Gaudefroy growled on the ground in defiance, clutching his broken wrist in pain.

"An animal like you…" Julius muttered, his shoulders shaking and his features frowning. "A filthy animal like you dares to touch ME?!" He growled, facing Gaudefroy, who along with everyone else present was shocked by the anger radiated by the prince, as his hand dangerously tightened around the imperial scepter, which was about to substitute for a sword which would go through Gaudefroy's chest.

Nonette turned around to face the prince, knowing where this was headed. "Oi, Jule its alright. I dealt with the situation. Calm down, okay?" She tried what she deemed her best to peacefully resolve the situation. "I know that you really want to kill him, but you have to restrain yourself, otherwise I'll restrain you myself." She said.

Julius turned his hateful gaze to her. He understood that while she was here, he couldn't do as he pleased. Yet. Sending Gaudefroy a warning glare that he was not done with him, Julius' features returned to their previous state, as he turned to look at the duke, who was starting to feel scared by the monstrous hatred displayed by the prince.

Shin, however, was pleased to see a different side of the prince. _So, that's what you look like when things don't go your way._ The blue haired man chuckled to himself, after which he rose from his seat. "I believe that obeying his majesty's commands for now is in your best interests, Highness." Shin told Velaines. "Highness, please give the order."

The duke frowned, understanding that Shin had allied with the prince. "Lord Shaing…"

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

Back at the W-0 base, Leila had called for Akito to meet with her in her room. The blond girl wanted to hear his opinion on the latest 'terrorist' attack. The two of them sat opposite each other, with Leila being behind her desk and Akito on a chair in front of it.

"Reports say that Clement Industries has been damaged by rioters." Akito said.

"Fake stories and rumors are only fanning everyone's anxieties." Leila nodded in agreement, unfortunately having an idea who stood behind all of this, whilst her cat rubbed its head against her leg and meowed.

Then, surprisingly, the phone in her office rang and Leila picked it up. To the girl's surprise, the caller was none other than her adoptive brother, Ioan.

"Leila." He called her name on the phone. "I finally found you." He said in a relieved tone of voice, as he was sitting in his room, speaking over the phone. "Surely you've had your fill of playing soldier. It's time to give it up." He said. Leila was surprised that she received a call from Ioan. "Britannia is using false intel to rile up the masses. The North Sea power plant is still there! It hasn't been blown up!" Ioan's news only made Leila's suspicions come true, as she continued to listen to what he had to say. "Britannia is certain to invade under the cover of all this chaos. So come home! Right away!" Ioan pleaded desperately for Leila to return home.

Having decided on her answer long ago, Leila was glad that her adoptive brother cared about her well-being, but she had a dream that all people would live happily and backing out now would mean that she could never accomplish that dream. "Thank you for worrying about me." She said, genuinely grateful. "But I'm looking for a different sort of freedom."

"Leila!" Ioan argued, not understanding why she was being stubborn, but she ended the call with a farewell. Saddened, Ioan put the phone back on the table, from which he then picked up an old pendant. "Stupid woman…" He muttered, as he opened the pendant with a sad gaze. Inside it was a picture of Leila and Ioan when they were still little. Her final words to him rang in his head.

"I mean it, Ioan. Thank you."

Ioan understood that it was time to let go, as he let out a defeated sigh and closed the pendant, putting it around his neck.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg**

At the capital of Euro Britannia, preparations for the broadcasting of a speech to be made by Julius were finally done and the event could proceed as per the prince's plan. He had the duke under arrest and sent to prison, keeping his intent to have him executed to himself for now. He had gained the allegiance of all the nobility through their mass fear of him and there he was now, standing at the podium of a castle at the capital, cameras lined up to broadcast his speech worldwide. Standing behind him were Nonette Enneagram and Shin Hyuga Shaing, who waited for the prince to make his announcement.

Nonette had figured Julius had planned something along what had happened and, while she wouldn't allow him to harm citizens of Britannia unjustly, she wouldn't exactly stop him from gaining authority either, as to her it seemed like an interesting development.

Shin Hyuga Shaing was a completely different deal. The man was like a treacherous snake, patiently waiting for the right moment to lash out and sink its poisonous teeth into its prey. He intended to see just how far Julius could go before he eventually makes a mistakes. Shin wasn't afraid of the prince in the slightest, as he was confident that he was starting to figure him out, not to mention that his younger brother Akito was still a card he had to play.

Julius smiled, beginning the next stage in his plan. "Greetings, citizens of Euro Britannia." Julius began his speech, raising his empty left hand forward. "I am the twelfth prince of the empire, Julius vi Britannia, but you already know that." He said, after which he smirked. "I make this announcement to inform you that Grand Duke Velaines attempted to rebel against me and has been arrested for treason." He then raised his right hand which held the imperial scepter to the sky. "Therefore, I shall be the one to guide Euro Britannia." He grinned sinisterly. "Yes, from now on, I am the emperor of Euro Britannia." Julius then dramatically spread his arms out to the side. "Behold and rejoice, your glorious new ruler!" He laughed maniacally.

Just like Julius had intended, his proclamation had been broadcasted worldwide and had been seen by countless people, a lot of which were really influential figures. Now that he had announced his presence on the world stage, it was time to set the game into the next stage.

* * *

 **Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon**

At the capital of the homeland, Julius' announcement hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the imperial family, as a portion of them had gathered to discuss that subject.

"That brat!" Guinevere growled angrily, slamming her fist on the table. "Does he think that he'll get away with something like this?!"

Guinevere su Britannia was a woman in her early thirties with long pale brown hair and green eyes, sporting quite a curvaceous figure, along with a rose tattoo over her left breast. She was dressed in a long purple ornamental dress with golden linings with a white cloak over it, also sporting a white and red ornament for her hair. She was the crown princess of the imperial family and was widely known for her pride in her title. That wasn't to say that she wasn't a skilled politician. She, along with Schneizel, Julius and Odysseus, was one of the most influential people in the empire second only to the emperor. Needless to say, the woman was displeased with the fact that her younger half-brother now had a lot of power at his disposal.

"Calm down, Guinevere." Odysseus smiled at her. "I'm sure that Julius knows what he is doing."

Odysseus eu Britannia was a tall muscular man in his early thirties with short brown hair and beard and blue eyes. He wore a grey and gold coat, with frills at the shoulders, and pants, beneath which he was dressed in a black formal shirt. The man was the crown prince of the empire and the first in line to succeed the throne from the emperor. He was known for his kind nature and, sadly, mediocre attitude.

"Meh, I don't care what that scary idiot does." Carine grumbled, not wanting to deal with whatever her older half-sibling had planned.

Carine ne Britannia was a small young girl with red hair styled in an over the top twin tail fashion and blue eyes. She wore an almost jester like pink and red outfit. The girl was known for her spoiled and rotten attitude, making her an example of what anybody wouldn't want their child to become.

Euphemia stood silently in the room off to the side, not knowing what Julius was planning. She decided to not voice her conflicted opinion of her brother's actions and opted to trust that he had good intentions in his taking command over Euro Britannia.

However, the one who was having the most fun was Schneizel. He was thrilled to see his younger brother finally make his move and enter the scene. For the second prince, Julius had proven himself worthy of wielding political power, but now was a matter of proving if he was capable of doing so. After all, the young prince in black and gold still had a lot to learn if he wished to best his older brother.

At the Knights of the Round's office, the currently present members were surprised by the development.

"Whew," Gino whistled, not having expected the prince's taking over Euro Britannia. "Julius sure knows how to make a name for himself."

"The prince's got guts, I'll give him that." Luciano Bradley chuckled with his arms crossed, finding the twelfth prince's performance quite amusing. He was a man in his late twenties with auburn hair, worn in a mullet-like style with a single hair hanging down in the middle, and grey eyes. The man was dressed in the Knights of the Round's uniform, with an orange and gold cloak over it. A violent and confrontational man, he was fond of provoking others and attacking without provocation. Luciano Bradley held the title Knight of Ten and had also earned the moniker 'vampire of Britannia' for himself.

"Now we'll see if he really has what it takes to rule." Bismarck said with crossed arms, while Anya simply stared emptily at the screen.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

The whole of the W-0 had watched Julius' speech. For the Wyvern squad, it hadn't come as much of a shock that the prince made his move, since they experienced his methods first hand.

"So, our royal adversary moved up in the world, did he." Yukiya noted with a mischievous smile.

"This guy gives me the creeps!" Ayano shuddered.

Ryo slammed his fist into his hand. "I'm so ready for the next time I get to smash his smug face in! You hear me, Julius vi Britannia?! I'm gonna beat you senseless!" Ryo yelled out, declaring his lust for payback.

"So, it really was all a part of his plan…" Leila noted, scowling nervously. _Just what exactly is he aiming for?_ She wondered, not understanding what the prince's goals were.

Akito, however, took notice of another figure on the broadcast, his brother. He clenched his fists, worried that what he feared the most had come to past. Shin had allied with Julius and now Akito had to face both of those monstrously powerful enemies and put a stop to their madness.

* * *

 **Area 11, Tokyo settlement**

Even at the other end of the world there were people, who had formed their opinions on the twelfth prince's rise to power. One such person was Clovis la Britannia, who just finished watching his younger brother's speech.

He was a tall and very handsome man with blonde hair that fell right behind his shoulders, with a piece falling between his blue eyes. He wore a purple royal suit with gold patterns, a white handkerchief, black pants, and long white gloves. The man was the third prince of the empire and the current viceroy of Area 11.

Clovis let out a sigh. "It would seem that my younger brother's delusional ego has started to really get to his head." He said, not impressed by Julius' performance, dismissing whatever his younger brother had planned, since he currently had gotten his hands on something far more valuable than control over all of Euro Britannia.

Elsewhere in the settlements, members of the Britannian military had also watched Julius' speech and while most were indifferent, the same could not be said for one Jeremiah Gottwald.

"Ah, your majesty, it brings me great joy to see you realize your potential like this." Jeremiah saluted to the video of Julius. "It pains me greatly that I cannot serve by your side, but that is the price to pay for my failure." He said bitterly.

Jeremiah Gottwald was a tall muscular man with blue hair and orange eyes. An elite Knightmare pilot and successful soldier of the Britannian empire, he had been a guard at the Aries Villa when Empress Marianne was assassinated, and considered the incident his biggest unforgivable failure. For his failure he had been denied his request to service the last of the empress' children and was transferred to Japan, the land that had taken the lives of the Empress' two children Lelouch and Nunnally, where he hoped to redeem himself.

Unknown to anyone, however, there was one man in the entire world, who held almost boundless hatred towards Julius vi Britannia. Passing by the streets on his way back from the local store to buy the groceries, the person had stopped dead in his tracks when one of the large public screens played the speech of the prince.

Dressed in grey jeans and black boots and tank top, over which he wore a red jacket, the person in question had raven black hair and purple eyes that glowed with hatred towards the man with whom he shared appearance. "Despicable scum!" One Lelouch Lamperouge growled under his breath and left in a brisk pace, not wanting to look or hear of Julius again, now having to make the effort to act out that he was in a good mood in front of his little sister.

* * *

 **St. Petersburg**

Having reinstated himself as supreme commander over Euro Britannia, Julius was now one step closer to his end goal, taking revenge on his father. Currently, the prince was playing a game of chess with Shin Hyuga Shaing, accompanied by Nonette and Jean Rowe, who stood off to the side and watched the two.

"It was foolish of Duke Velaines to defy me." Julius chuckled, as Shin made his move and it became his turn. "Perhaps one could say that his time has come and gone?" He said and moved one of his knights. "He is under arrest for now, though I've already decided on his sentence."

"What of the Great Nobles?" Shin asked, as he made his move.

"Hmph." Julius sneered, thinking through his next move after which he made his rook take one of Shin's pawns, which he then took to play with in his hand. "I doubt that they have the backbone to revolt against me or the homeland." He said and moved his king for the finishing blow. "Checkmate."

Shin took a look at the board, noticing his defeat. "Well played." He congratulated the prince.

Julius then took the black king and brought in front of his face, gazing at it. "There was a saying my twin brother used to say all the time." He said and remembered Lelouch's phrase. "If the king doesn't lead, how could he expect his subordinates to follow?" He put the king down on the board. "And he would always beat me at chess, too." He smiled for a brief second, but then his features hardened. "But now it's just me."

"You sound like you really cared for your brother." Shin noted, starting to see what really hid behind the terrifying mask that Julius vi Britannia wore.

Julius looked at him and smirked. "You should know, considering that you let your own brother go."

Shin immediately frowned at the prince's remark, but understood that right now his opponent held all the cards and he had little chance of winning even if he used his Geass. "Since when did you know?" He asked.

Julius smiled, seeing that he had cornered Shin. "I met him at Warsaw, though I can't say that Akito and his friends made fond memories of me." He chuckled.

"And?" Shin asked, wanting to see what was his companion's aim. "Now that you know this, what do you plan on doing with it?"

Julius reared his head back and laughed for a few seconds. "Lord Shaing, did you really think that I'd trust you without having a way to effectively deal with you?" He asked, triumphantly, making Shin scowl. "Here's how things are going to play out. You'll get to fulfill your own little ambitions in due time, but before that time comes, you will serve under me, am I clear?"

Shin frowned, making Julius think that he had him all figured out and cornered, while in truth the man was grinning internally. _I'll beat you at your own little game of deceptions, Julius vi Britannia._ Shin chuckled to himself. "It would seem that I cannot go against you and not pay the price." Shin said, sounding like he had accepted the situation.

"Indeed." Julius said and took a sip from his drink that was on the table. "I'm glad that we successfully reached an understanding, Lord Shaing." He smirked.

* * *

 **E.U. Military general HQ**

Back at his office Gene Smilas had finally begun the preparations for his plan, as he held a secret meeting with his most trusted subordinates via digital feedback. His office was in total lockdown, no light being present in the room except for that coming from the monitors.

"Is that clear?" The general said. "Word of the plan is not to leak out under any circumstances."

"We will use their assistance as needed-" The screens all became static, cutting off the reply of the general's officers.

Smilas was confused why the screens suddenly stopped working, starting to feel uneasy. It was then that, to his surprise, he saw a very familiar figure approach him, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

"In all ages, the young always eagerly rush to their deaths." The figure said with a distorted feminine voice, as she continued to slowly approach the general. The being was a young woman with short black hair that was neon pink at the tips and had pink eyes. She was dressed in a black robe with purple linings, which formed in the shape of the Geass sigil, as she emanated a strange aura, which would make any human wither in fear.

"It can't be…" Smilas gulped down nervously, starting to realize that we wouldn't be able to get out of this situation.

"Even though heroes are just another dead man." The woman said, placing her left hand on her waist.

"I have no desire to see them dead!" Smilas retorted, trying to argue his case.

"Of course." The woman said. "You'd never express it in those words." Her neutral disposition and expression were terrifying, as she showed no hint of emotion whatsoever. "Nevertheless, you are guiding them to the land of the dead." Smilas began to get nervous, as he knew that he could do nothing against the being in front of him. "For your own benefit."

The general suddenly lost of the woman, getting confused, after which he was startled by her presence next to him, turning his chair around towards her. "What are you implying?!" He asked.

The woman looked at him like he was just a small ant, which compared to her, he was. "We aren't in the least bit interested in you making yourself king of this world." The woman said, but then added a condition to her sentence. "However, you did conspire against us once." Smilas' hands began to unconsciously shake in fear. "We must make you atone for that transgression."

"Atone for it?" the general asked, seeing a chance to rid himself of the woman's presence looming over him like a blade to his neck. "How? What do you want me to do?" He asked, as he watched the being walk in front of his desk and turn towards him.

"In the name of the Geass, I command you." She said, raising her right hand at pointing at him with her index finger. "Take Shin Hyuga Shaing's life."

"Lord Shaing?" Smilas rose from his seat, surprised to hear him brought up. "How do you know about him?" He asked nervously, but then figured out what the woman was aiming towards. "I don't believe it! Is he…"

"That will settle your account with us." The being in the form of a woman said, as her features then dangerously scowled. "If you refuse, then we will-"

"I understand. I will keep my word…" Smilas pleaded, knowing that his life was in danger.

The woman continued to emptily gaze at him, as she slowly began to walk away. "You are bound by a contract. Do not forget that." She said, as she slowly started to fade into obscurity. "All that matters to us is that the balance of space-time is maintained." The being said, as it disappeared, leaving the general with its final words. "It makes no difference, whether humanity flourishes or burns."

The lights turned on in the room and Gene fell in his chair, emotionally drained, as he was left with the being's warning hanging over him like a Damocles sword. He knew that he never should've got mixed up with the Geass Order and now he had to do his share to be forgiven.

* * *

 **Wow, what a tense ending, am I right? Anyway, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter, but most importantly, yay for Akito and Leila starting to get into a proper relationship. Before you criticize me of simply changing the setting and copying the scene from episode three, I'll say in my defense that the scene was perfect as it was and it was a required element to the characters' development.**

 **I'm sure that all of you enjoyed the fan favorite's brief appearance in this chapter. Who? Lelouch of course and I believe that you can make out for yourselves that he is not exactly overjoyed with having to hear about his twin brother.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews are always welcome, as I like to hear what you guys think about the story and where its headed, not to mention I'm open towards any type of ideas you might have, though please don't hate on Suzaku that much. The guy hasn't even made his appearance in the story and there are people already wanting him dead XD. Who knows, maybe the Suzaku in this story might actually not be such a drag. Anyway, have an awesome day and we'll see each other in the next chapter!**


	8. One step closer

**Whew, finally done with this one. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, though fair warning for content ahead, supposedly cringey humor is lurking down below, so be advised. I'm not that good when it comes to writing humor, but I hope it's not terribly bad. Anyway, enough out of me.**

* * *

Stage 8: One step closer

* * *

 **Area 11, Tokyo settlement, Ashford academy**

Morning had come in Tokyo and people were already up and about, the city being as crowded and lively as usual. Waking up to greet the day, a certain fourteen-year-old girl felt a gentle hand placed on her head, as she slowly came to from her sleep.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." A boy's voice gently greeted her, making her relax in her bed.

"Good morning, big brother." She giggled, using her hearing to make out that he was on her right. Sadly, the poor girl could not make out her brother's silhouette in the darkness that was before her eyes, but she smiled nonetheless, as she grasped his hand, making sure that he was really there. "Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"Yes." Her brother replied, as he smiled and gazed at her affectionately, knowing the bitter fact that she couldn't possibly see him. "What about you, Nunnally?" He asked her kindly, as he helped her get up from bed carrying her over to a wheelchair in the room.

Nunnally Lamperouge was a little girl with long wavy sandy brown hair. Her eyes were closed, for there was no possible way for her to gaze at the world. Blind, the poor girl made herself comfortable in the wheelchair, which helped her get around. Fate had been too cruel to the poor girl, as she had not only lost her sight, but her legs, too.

"I had a dream." Nunnally replied.

Her older brother, Lelouch Lamperouge, gently caressed her head, as he then went behind the wheelchair and took the handles. "Oh? What was it about?" The dark haired teen asked her.

"I dreamed that we were back home, living happily as a family with everyone." She said, as Lelouch began to push her wheelchair towards the kitchen so they could enjoy breakfast.

Hearing her made Lelouch frown in concern for his little sister, knowing that something like that was long since impossible. "I see." He replied with a note of bitterness in his voice, which Nunnally caught on to, feeling that she had upset her brother.

"Lelouch," She said, deciding to try and speak with her brother about a sensitive matter. "I heard the announcement back the other day." She said, making her brother frown angrily, knowing what she wanted to talk about. "I'm worried for big brother, Lelouch." She said, despite knowing that Lelouch always got in a bad mood when she spoke about their brother, even though he tried to hide it by controlling his speech. "I didn't bring this up sooner because I thought you would get angry." Nunnally said sheepishly.

Lelouch took a deep breath to calm himself, not wanting to upset his little sister. "I'm not angry, Nunnally." He said, lying with the gentle voice he always used when he spoke with her. "I thought we agreed to not bring up that man in a conversation ever again." Lelouch said, as they moved towards the kitchen, his words making Nunnally sad. "I know that it's hard for you, but you'll understand that it's for the best we do not associate with that man." He told her.

"Ok." Nunnally replied, not wanting to argue with her brother and upset him. She felt awful that Lelouch had come to bear such awful feelings towards their brother, considering that she loved both of her brothers.

Wanting to change the mood and lift his sister's spirit, Lelouch decided to change the topic of conversation. "Come on, Sayako's already prepared breakfast for us." He said, trying to cheer up Nunnally. "It would be a waste if the pancakes got cold, right?"

"Yes, you're right." Nunnally said, smiling at her brother, even though she was still worried about Lelouch, as they entered the kitchen. The young girl could only sigh, knowing that they would most likely never be the way they once were.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg, Caesar's Palace**

With Julius vi Britannia now in control of Euro Britannia, the political situation in the empire was changing. The prince had scheduled a meeting with the house of lords, which comprised of the most influential members of nobility, and the grandmasters of the four Knight orders. Everyone was gathered in the throne room of the palace, with the noblemen and knights standing before the throne.

On said throne stood seated one Julius vi Britannia. He stood leaned back on the throne with an arrogant smirk on his face and the imperial scepter in his lap. On his right stood Nonette, who was humming to herself, not really caring for what was going on, but her presence was enough to make whatever attempts anyone had at revolting against the prince disappear into the air. On Julius's left, however, stood Shin Hyuga Shaing, who had gained the distrust of everyone present for defecting to the prince. The blue haired man occasionally sent curious glances towards the prince, as he waited for him to begin.

"Welcome, everyone." Julius said, his smirk not leaving his face, making various people in the room become nervous. "I called you all here today, so we could clear up some things." He said, as he entangled his fingers. "First of all, I'd like to inform you that Lord Shaing will be placed as my second in command." He smirked, gazing briefly at Shin. _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer._ With his message clearly sent across, gestured to Shin to continue in his stead. "Lord Shaing, if you will." He told Shin to proceed.

Shin stepped forward and addressed everyone gathered. "His majesty has been generous enough to give all of you a chance to prove your loyalty to the crown." Shin said, making everyone start to worry.

"Like hell we're going to serve this treacherous brat! Hyuga, you lack both honor and loyalty, for betraying his highness the duke!" Gaudefroy roared, making Julius' smirk go into a twisted grin.

Shin narrowed his eyes at the large man, thinking him a complete fool to openly oppose the prince in such a way. "Please do not misunderstand, Sir Gaudefroy." Shin said, as this time it was him who smirked. "You're not going to be spending a lot more time with us."

"What?!" Gaudefroy yelled out, as in the next instant Shin snapped his fingers and guards swarmed the giant grandmaster with their blades drawn. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Lord Gaudefroy," Shin said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You are arrested for treachery against the empire." He said and then ordered the guards, while Julius watched with great amusement. "Seize him."

Everyone was shocked from what happened next. Andrea and Raymond both watched, unable to do anything lest they end up in the same situation, as Gaudefroy erupted in anger.

"Screw you!" The large man roared, as he took out his sword and swung it, sending all of the guards down on the ground, after which he turned his fury towards the prince sitting on the throne, who continued to grin at him. "Die, Julius vi Britannia!" Gaudefroy yelled, as he charged for the prince with his sword in hand, aiming to cut him in half.

Julius' expression did not change, as the mad joy was clearly present on his face, even when a gunshot echoed in the room. All eyes turned to Nonette, who had taken out her revolver and fired at the disobedient Gaudefroy, whose right leg began to bleed profusely, as he dropped on his knees, grunting in pain.

"Idiot…" She muttered, not having wanted to shoot the man, but her standing as a knight of the empire dictated that she had to defend the members of the royal family against any type of threat, as she put her revolver back in its holster.

Shin looked at Gaudefroy, who stood on his knees, clutching his leg in pain, as a small pool of blood started to form around it, but then he switched his gaze to the standing up Julius, who had a madly cheerful glint in his eye.

"A question to all of you, mongrels." Julius said with a cheerful voice and a mad grin, as he walked over to the kneeling Gaudefroy with the imperial scepter in hand. "What does one do, when a dog bites the hand that feeds it?"

Gaudefroy's eyes widened in anger and defiance, as he gazed at the grinning prince, understanding that he really was mad as the rumors said. Everyone in the room were forced to watch what happened next.

Using the imperial scepter, Julius delivered a hard blow to Gaudefroy's stomach, knocking out the air out of the giant man and making him bend forward to clutch his abdomen in pain, dropping his sword on the ground, after which the prince swung out with all his strength, hitting the knight's face with the scepter, knocking him down on his back from the force of the blow. Gaudefroy screamed and clutched his face in pain, which was now covered in blood. Much to everyone's horror, it didn't end there.

"Heheh." Julius chuckled, as he took a look at the bloodied scepter. He then turned to look over at Shin, who approached him. Julius handed him the scepter, after which he crouched to take Gaudefroy's blade. "I wonder how sharp this sword is." He chuckled, as he ran his fingers over the blade's edge. "Let's find out, shall we?"

He went over to the laying Gaudefroy and kicked him over on his stomach, after which he raised the blade and in one swift slash severed the clubbed head of the knight, spilling blood everywhere, some getting on his pants and shoes.

"What a mess." He said, not happy that his clothes got ruined by some trash's blood, after which he smiled and turned to everyone present in the room, with the bloodied blade in hand. "I want all of you to open your eyes and look carefully at this unruly dog." He grinned, his audience completely horrified by his actions. "Because next will be the ones who still want to oppose me." He said, which made everyone else to bow down before him. "Yes, that's right." He chuckled. "I knew you'd understand your place." He said, as he erupted into mad laughter.

Nonette stood off to the side, frowning. She wasn't happy in the slightest that Julius was provoking them to attack on purpose and was seriously starting to think that she had to take action and reel him in. For now, she would wait and see, as Julius was yet to actually do something uncalled for.

Shin, however, found the whole ordeal very amusing, as he gazed at Julius and Gaudefroy's corpse, which now had a pool of blood around it from the hole in its neck. The knight had not actually expected the prince to have the backbone to kill, but he was pleasingly proven wrong, finding Julius more and more entertaining.

The prince's laughter died down, as he threw the blade to the ground and turned around, walking back to Shin, who handed him the imperial scepter, after which he sat back on the throne. "Now that we've cleared up the situation, I want this filth cleaned up and incinerated." He gestured to the bloodied corpse with an annoyed expression.

After the meeting was ended, Julius found himself walking towards his quarters accompanied by Shin, who in turn was followed by a nervous Jean Rowe, while Nonette had gone off somewhere, in which the prince wasn't interested. Walking down the regal corridors, the two men were conversing with each other.

"I have to say, I'm impressed, your highness." Shin said, smirking.

"Oh?" Julius slightly turned his head towards him, curious to hear what he had to say.

"I enjoy the methods you use to get the results you desire." The knight said, interested in figuring Julius out. "They're not something you see in every politician nowadays."

"Hmph, do not compare me to people like my older brother." Julius told him, referring to Schneizel. "He may be able to gain everyone's favor and manipulate them in the process, but I find the direct approach to things like politics more effective." He smiled.

"It would seem so." Shin replied, after which he changed the topic of the conversation. "So? What do you plan on doing next?"

"That depends." Julius explained. "The whole of Euro Britannia's military has begun to assemble for an invasion on the weakened E.U., but I may have to deal with a certain problem before I proceed."

"Hmm?" Shin raised his eyebrows in curiosity, thinking about what the prince might be referring to. "Ah." He smiled, figuring out what Julius was referring to. "I would appreciate it if your highness allowed me to deal with my foolish younger brother." Shin said.

Julius gave him an analyzing gaze, still not having completely figured out his relationship with Akito, though if his memory served him right, it would seem that they weren't on exactly friendly terms. "We'll see." He said. "I still have yet to conclude whether your brother is useful to me," Julius said, gaining Shin's suspicion that he was plotting something, which might affect the knight's own plans. "but if he and his friends force my hand, I won't be as merciful as before."

Shin wasn't pleased with the prince's decision, since it was his place to use his brother for his own merits. He eyed the prince dangerously, as he continued to wait for when his opportunity to strike would arise. After all, he wasn't going to let some brat from the imperial family ruin his grand plan for the world.

After he had parted ways with the prince, Shin was left with Jean, as both were driven in a limo to the Shaing family estate. Jean was nervous that the prince had put a stop to her lord's plans.

"Lord Hyuga," She said, gaining Shin's attention. "what are we going to do about the prince."

Shin smirked cheerfully. "No need for worry, Jean." He told her. "We only need to be patient. He will slip up eventually and when he does, we will make our move."

"I see." Jean said, looking at the ground, contemplating. "But what if he finds out about your goals, sir?"

"Then he will be dealt with accordingly." Shin replied sternly. He still had an ace up his sleeve, his Geass. It didn't matter how strong and untouchable Julius thought he was. There would always be someone, who could pose a threat to him, and that someone was going to be Shin Hyuga.

In his quarters, Julius had locked the door to give himself some much required privacy. The prince had removed his eye-patch and upper clothing, laying on his bed naked from the waist up. He gazed at the ceiling, contemplating. He was thinking of how he had killed the unruly knight in cold blood, going as far as to think of all the times he had killed people in the same fashion, with himself even laughing their deaths off, like they were the most hilarious thing ever.

"How long has it been?" He asked no one in particular, as he raised his hand and placed it on the left side of his face. "I wonder when exactly did I become like this?" He chuckled, a twisted smile placed itself on his face. It wasn't one of sadism or arrogance, no, it was one of sheer confusion and helplessness. He couldn't understand this feeling that he would get from time to time. A feeling that made his head and heart hurt. It was as if he was starting to feel afraid of himself, even though he had sworn to himself that he would never again allow himself to feel fear.

He remembered the moment he thought that perhaps was the point of no return. He remembered that awful day clearly. The day he lost all hope for humanity.

* * *

 **August, 2010 atb**

At this point in time Julius was already alone. His brother and sister had been sent off to Japan and had spent two months already as political hostages. He had tried his best to prevent their expulsion, but Lelouch's furious rejection had quite literally hit him hard and he was unable to do anything but watch as his siblings were sent away into a foreign country. The erupting war with Japan had done nothing to help his mental state either.

After his mother's murder, Julius lived with Cornelia and Euphemia at their estate, to make sure that he would not be targeted by the people, who had assassinated his mother. Both of the li Britannia siblings had tried their best to raise his spirits and treated him lovingly as family, but they could do nothing to cease his unrest for his siblings.

When Cornelia had informed him that she was going on the front lines in the war against Japan to rescue Lelouch and Nunnally, he was given hope that the situation could still be fixed and when his siblings returned safely, he would get to sort things out with Lelouch and tell him the truth, to get his brother's aid in avenging their mother's death.

Sadly, those childish hopes all came crashing down on one August day. Julius had been playing with Euphemia, both kids excited for the return of their siblings, as they chased each other in the gardens of the mansion. They laughed cheerfully, knowing that everything would return to how it should be, until Euphemia spotted her older sister coming home.

"Ah, big sister's back!" The young Euphemia exclaimed.

"Really?" Julius turned his head, his heart beating fast with excitement, but then he became confused when he saw that his older sister was returning alone.

The two children ran over to their sister, with Euphemia still retaining her cheerfulness, while Julius couldn't help but start to feel that something was wrong.

"Welcome back, big sis!" Euphy exclaimed, bear hugging Cornelia, who seemed to be with a pained expression and stood with her hands behind her back.

"Big sister Cornelia," Julius asked with a concerned face, having run over to greet her as well. "where are my brother and sister?"

The older sibling gulped down hard, her pained expression not leaving her, as she struggled to keep her tears at bay and tried to muster enough courage to tell her younger brother the awful truth she had faced. "Julius… I…" She started to say, as Euphemia let go of her so she could speak freely with him. The older sibling finally resolved herself to the awful deed she was about to do. "I'm so sorry…" She said, as she brought her hands forward and handed Julius a small piece of a destroyed chessboard with Lelouch's signature on it.

The young prince took it, confused, but after he inspected it and his eyes landed on his brother's signature, his whole mind came to a stop.

Cornelia' eyes began to fill with tears, as she knelt down and enveloped him in her arms. "I'm so sorry…" She started to cry.

Julius just stood paralyzed, incapable of forming words, as tears began to fall from his eyes unrelentingly. He stood there silently, in his sister's embrace, feeling like something had just broke. He felt as if he had heard the sound of breaking glass, but failed to realize that it wasn't an object that broke, but his own heart.

Euphemia, still being just a little kid, didn't understand why her siblings were crying. "Are you alright?" She asked concerned for her siblings, approaching them. "Why are you crying?" She started to tear up as well, saddened that her brother and sister were crying.

Cornelia brought her into her embrace as well, as the oldest of the siblings desperately tried to fight against her sobbing. Seeing her sister in so much pain, made Euphemia start to cry as well.

When the eldest sibling let go, she felt a cold dagger stab into her heart when she saw her younger brother. His face was that of utter confusion, with tears flooding his dead eyes that seemed to have stopped seeing the hellish world in front of them.

Cornelia grabbed Julius by his shoulders, desperate to get him out of his current state. "Julius, listen to me!" She said with tears in her eyes. "Everything is going to be alright!" She said, trying to shake him back to life.

The young prince opened his mouth as if trying to say something, but words wouldn't come out. He just started sobbing, until he fell on his knees and began to cry out his heart, feeling crushed by the cruel and unfair world. He was all by himself now, alone in the cold and harsh world.

Later that same day, a funeral for both Nunnally and Lelouch was arranged. Various members of nobility and the royal family that were close to the two deceased children had gathered to mourn their loss, among which was also Julius.

"May their souls find peace in heaven. Amen." The priest, who had come to enact the funeral, said, after which there was a minute of silence to honor the dead.

Among the present were Guinevere, Carine, who had come to simply pay their respects out of duty. Present was also Oddyseus, who found the loss of their younger siblings a crushing tragedy, while Schneizel believed that it was something which could've easily been avoided, had the circumstances been different. The second prince was disappointed to see the innocent Nunnaly and ambitious Lelouch pass away, when they could've achieved so much in life.

Trying to hold back her tears, Cornelia stood along with Clovis and Euphemia, who were bawling their eyes out in silence for the loss of their siblings.

In the center of this whole sad picture stood Julius, who gazed emptily at his siblings' graves.

"Heh."

The minute of silence was yet to pass, when a very loud snicker was heard. Everyone was shocked that somebody would dare to ruin the funeral, but when they turned to find out its source, they were unsettled by the unfolding picture.

"Heheh." Julius chuckled madly to himself, his whole body shaking. "Ahahaha!" He reared his head back exploding in mad laughter, his eyes filled with an insane glow to them. He knew full well who was to blame for bringing about this hell and he would dedicate every part of his being to destroying that person and everything they cared about.

* * *

Julius opened his eyes to find that he was still laying in his bed. He had broken into a sweat from remembering that awful day, and rose from the bed, clutching his heart in an attempt to make himself calm down. His breathing was ragged, as he went over the mirror in the room.

He stood in front of it, looking at himself. His lean and muscular body, his tormented face and his sinisterly glowing left eye with its unsettling black sclera, made him realize just how different he had become from how he used to be. Back at his mother and siblings' deaths, he had cried his heart out, after which he swore to never again shed tears, because he would have to be strong, no, the strongest in order to rise to the top of the wretched world and have his revenge.

He smiled, finding the situation amusing. "I wonder if I'm still going to be myself by the end of all this." He muttered out loud, shrugging his shoulders. Seeing that his head was too occupied, he figured that some physical exercise would do him good to help clear his mind. Having figured out with what he would pass his time, Julius changed into a set of sporty clothes, taking a towel from the room, and headed towards the gym in the Palace.

* * *

Elsewhere, Nonette had gone off to take a breath of fresh air. She stood in the middle of a forest outside the city, finding the calm serenity of nature to be a nice change of scenery. As a soldier, she was used to seeing and executing bloodbaths, but even she needed a change of pace. The Knight of Nine had called an old friend and informed him about what was going on in Euro Britannia.

"I see." Kanon Maldini replied over the phone. He was an earl of Britannia and a loyal subordinate of Schneizel el Britannia. "It would seem that prince Julius is intent on completely destroying the E.U. both physically and mentally."

"Yeah." Nonette said, having finished her recap of the events that had transpired. "I'm gonna stop him if he acts out of regulation, but I can't do much else, you know?"

After taking some time to think on what he had heard, Kanon replied. "I understand. I'll inform prince Schneizel of what you had told me." He said with a reassuring tone. "I'm sure he'll figure something out."

"Ok. You're buying drinks next time." Nonette nodded with a cheerful smile on her face. "Bye." She ended the call before her friend had the ability to protest.

Left again by herself, Nonette looked around herself, there being not a living soul nearby, with only trees and nature around her. She took in a deep breath to clear her lungs and thumped down on the ground, laying on the grass with her back, gazing at the sunny sky. The Knight of the Round disliked having to think hard about stuff. That was why she was a soldier, after all. She was way better off with simply being given orders and executing them.

At times like this, there was only one person she knew who could help clear her mind and better her mood. She dialed the phone number and waited for the person to pick up.

"Hello?" The person answered the call, his male voice clearly being heard by Nonette.

"Hey, it's me." She said, as she looked at the clear sky.

"Nonette, it's so good to hear from you." The man said happily over the phone, glad that the Knight of Nine had called. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Nah, it's okay." She smiled, as a wind blew and she saw some leaves being carried by it. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

"I see." The person responded, understanding what the pale green haired woman had meant. "From what I hear, your situation's gotten pretty complex." He said. "Is the prince giving you trouble?"

"Jule's fine." She replied. "I can handle him, whatever he does, but…" Nonette stopped herself, taking some time to think.

"Nonette?" The person over the phone asked, finding it unusual for her to be so silent.

"It's nothing." She said, returning to her usual upbeat self. "I was just thinking how I can't understand that kid at all." Like usual, she changed topics on a dime. "Anyway, sorry for bothering you."

"You know that you can always speak to me if something's troubling you and you need help." The man over the phone told her affectionately.

"You're the best, you know that?" Nonette giggled. "Anyway, bye. Hope to see you soon."

"Yes. May the lord protect you." The person said cheerfully and ended the call. "Farewell, Nonette."

By herself once more, the Knight of Nine decided to enjoy the tranquility of her surroundings some more before she returned to the city.

* * *

Having returned to his family's estate, Shin was greeted by his mother and younger sister as per usual. Nighttime had fallen and the three of them were enjoying their tea in the dining hall, conversing with each other.

"Say, Shin," His adoptive mother, Maria asked him. "do you think that his highness prince Julius is rushing too much into things?"

"Hmm?" Shin turned to Maria with a surprised look, not having expecting her to bring him up. "I'm not sure what to say. That man has proven to be an enigma so far, but I think I'm starting to understand him a little better."

"That's big brother for you! He's really smart!" Alice said cheerfully, gaining a smile and cheerful laugh out of Maria.

Shin watched them have a good time, knowing that there was no going back from what he was about to do. He rose from his seat, gaining both his Maria and Alice's curious gazes.

"Brother?" Alice asked, wondering what was wrong.

"I need you to listen to something I have to say." Shin said, gaining nods from both of them, as he then raised his hand forward, his left eye glowing with his Geass appearing in it. "I want you to die." He said, swinging his hand out to the side, his power entrancing both women. "Goodbye, Alice, mother."

"Yes, big brother/dear." Both Alice and Maria said, smiling at Shin, as both of them grabbed knives from the table.

"I love you." Shin said with a sad smile, as he then watched the two plunge the blades into each other and dropping dead on the ground. He stood in front of their corpses and gazed affectionately at them. "You're free now." He said happily. "Free from this hell of living." He said, as he then turned to leave.

* * *

In Caesar's palace, Julius was close to finishing his training session. He was currently standing upside down, the whole weight of his body being supported by his hands, as he made pushup after pushup, the crystals of his eyepatch hanging down towards the ground. His regular exercise routine consisted of a series of different bodyweight exercises, which he varied from time to time, to keep his training regime more dynamic. And yet, this was nothing compared to the hell he had to go through when he had been training with Nonette.

Standing off to the side were two young maids that he had called for to attend him, providing him with water or any other commodity he asked for. Both girls were flustered from watching the prince train, as their cheeks were bright red with their gazes solely fixated on his lean muscles.

 _Fifty._ Julius groaned, giving one last push, as he straightened his arms and righted himself on his feet. He was panting for breath, tired from the exercises, his whole body having become covered in sweat, as he went over to the maids, who readily handed him a clean towel, which he took and used to wipe his face and neck area. Both of the girls gazed longingly at the prince's exhausted face, finding him incredibly handsome and thinking that the eye-patch made him even hotter.

"Is there anything else that you need, your highness?" One of the maids asked.

"Yes, I want lunch to be prepared by the time I'm out of the shower." He said with a cold tone and left, leaving the two maids utterly swayed by his good-looks and cold attitude. Feeling better after a good exercise, the prince now needed to take a shower and he'd be as good as new.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

The W-0 had assembled for a briefing scheduled by Leila. She was about to inform them of all the information she had gathered surrounding the presumed terrorist attacks. The people present were the heads of staff, that being Claus, Sophie, Anna and Oscar, and the Wyvern Squad. Everyone was seated in a chair or a couch, as was the case for the trio of Ryo, Yukiya and Ayano, except for Akito, who stood leaned on one of the walls.

"The large scale blackouts in Paris was not caused by a terrorist attack on the offshore power plant." Leila said, beginning the briefing, as data screens appeared behind her. "The North Sea power plant is still there, unscathed."

"What about that video on the net and TV?" Claus asked, not getting the picture.

The video appeared behind Leila and paused at a scene with the darkened man. "An elaborately constructed video file." Leila explained.

"But the net says there have been attacks all across Europe!" Claus argued.

"All those stories are false." Leila informed everyone. "It is all an elaborate scheme meant to whip the people of Europe and set off riots, weakening the country in the process." She explained.

"Then that Ark thing is fake, too?" Claus asked, while everyone continued to listen.

"No, the Ark does exist." Leila said, as the screen behind her showed images of giant airship. "A giant flying weapon would deal a powerful psychological blow." She said, but as the images showed, she revealed the aircraft's true purpose. "However, that is a bluff."

"A bluff?" Claus asked, confused. "Just for show?"

"Yes. We believe that it is not equipped with high-yield bombs and is not an offensive weapon." Leila said. "It is an ingenious plan meant to prey on human fears."

Yukiya chuckled. "And so far we only know of one person, who seems to have a knack for messing with people's heads."

"Indeed." Leila nodded, as the image of the darkened man from the video and an image of Julius appeared next to each other. "It is highly likely that the mastermind behind all of this is the twelfth prince of Britannia, Julius vi Britannia." She said, surprising Claus, Sophie, Oscar and Anna.

"So?" Ryo said with a confident smirk. "Are we gonna rain on the prince's parade?"

"To put down the riots, I believe we must reveal the Ark's true nature." Leila said.

"You want to use the Wyvern squad to do it?" Claus asked her with a worried smile.

"Yes." Leila nodded. "But I believe that if the enemy was cunning enough to devise such a devious plan, then they would most surely not have overlooked the possibility of an assault against the Ark." She scowled. "That is why-" She was cut off by Ryo, who didn't need to hear more to get him onboard.

"Count me in." Ryo said, standing up with his hands in his pockets. "We have to go. Right?" He said to his friends.

"Of course." Yukiya replied.

"I'm in." Ayano nodded with a smile.

It was at this moment that Akito intervened. "I can get this job done by myself." He said, stepping forward and voicing his opinion, gaining surprised looks from everyone.

"Huh?" Ryo frowned and walked over to him. "Come again?"

"If you came along, you'd only get in my way." Akito said, looking off to the side, when Ryo sucker punched him in the face. Akito reeled back and growled, having felt the punch.

"Don't act so tough!" Ryo yelled at him, but then received a punch to the face from Akito, taking a few steps back.

"You'll just…!" Akito argued, putting his hands up for a fight, but was cut off by Ryo, who brushed away his face with his wrist.

"It's obvious what you're thinking!" Ryo yelled out and delivered a blow to Akito's stomach, making him drop his guard, which allowed Ryo to give him another punch to the face.

"S-Stop it!" Leila tried to break them up, not liking that they were fighting each other, but was stopped by Ayano.

"Let them go at it." Ayano told her, watching the two boys go at each other with great amusement, confusing Leila.

"Ryo thinks the world of Akito." Yukiya explained.

The two boys continued engaging in their fist fight, exchanging blow for blow, with their faces starting to get bruised up from all the punches they had taken. With each hit, they punched harder, but neither would back down, as the exchange continued.

Anna watched nervously, as she became worried that the two might seriously injure each other, while Sophie began to drink from the tea she had prepared. "Anna, would you like some tea?" She asked, gaining the purple haired girl's confused gaze. "It's delicious." She smiled, enjoying the background show.

"Dr. Randle!" Anna scolded her for ignoring the ongoing fistfight.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Oscar asked the others, as Akito and Ryo continued to punch each other.

"Ah, to be young again." Claus commented, watching the two boys beat each other.

Yukiya stood with his arms on his waist, watching along with everyone else. "They're really hanging in there." He smiled.

"But that might be all they have." Ayano replied.

Finally getting tired from fighting, Ryo and Akito stood across each other panting and with their faces and fists bruised up.

"Did that Britannian prince scare you that much?!" Ryo yelled, angered that Akito did not trust in his and his friends' abilities. "Even if you're worried, we'll all come back here, together! Count on it!"

Seeing that he couldn't get his point across, Akito surrendered, understanding that whatever he said wouldn't change a thing. He knew of the dangers waiting for them and was aware that ordinary people would stand no chance against his brother and the prince's mysterious powers. Akito turned his back to Ryo with a saddened gaze, which Leila noticed. "Suit yourself." He muttered, making Ryo smirk victoriously.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia**

In his quarters, Julius, who had finished his lunch, had decided to spend some time and do some research on Shin. So far, the prince had uncovered the records on his past, as he continued to go through them.

 _Born and raised as an Eleven…_ Julius thought to himself, noting down to memory what he thought were crucial details that he needed to be aware of Shin's past. _Discovered at a young age by the now deceased lord Manfredi and lord Farnese, who brought him into Euro Britannia, where he was then adopted into the noble Shaing family…_ The prince continued to go through all the files on the man, slowly piecing the puzzle together, but there were still pieces missing. _Then where does his younger brother fit in all this…?_ He wondered, finding Akito's presence to be quite the wild card. _Not to mention, if he really has Geass, then I still don't know what it can do, nor can I defend myself…_

Julius let out an irritated groan, as he found it too annoying to work his ass off to solve the mystery of Shin Hyuga and his goals. To add to this, Nonette decided to make herself at home in his room, entering with a bang.

"Hey, what's up!" She declared cheerfully, as she entered the room without knocking, gaining an exhausted look from Julius, who didn't have the strength to deal with her at the moment.

"You know, normal people knock." He grumbled, annoyed that he now had the knight on his head. "What would you have done if I was coming naked out of the shower or was changing clothes?"

Nonette blinked for a few seconds imagining the scenario, after which she burst out laughing. "Jule, I didn't know you were so self-conscious. Do you feel ashamed of yourself or something?" She said.

The prince's cheeks flushed, not having put much thought in his statement, which Nonette had used to embarrass him. "For your information, I take great pride in my perfect physique." He grumbled, arguing his case. "In fact, I don't have the slightest problem to strip in front of you right now."

"Oh?" Nonette chuckled with a smug smile, deciding to call him out. "Prove it."

Too stubborn and prideful to back out of a challenge, no matter how stupid it was, Julius would not allow himself to look like a coward, who was afraid of showing his skin. "Fine then!" He retorted, as he began to undress from his attire, removing his jacket and cape, flinging them onto the couch along with his gloves, his black and gold tank-top soon following after them, leaving him naked from the waist up, but he wasn't done there. Nonette watched, barely withholding her laughter, as Julius removed his shoes and started to remove his black pants, leaving himself only in his grey boxers, exposing the rest of his bare body. "There, I'm naked." He said, not feeling ashamed that the woman in front of him got an eyeful of him.

Nonette laughed, finding the prince's childish stubbornness hilarious. "You really stripped!" She tried to calm herself down. "It would seem that all that running we did back at the academy really paid off." She said with a proud smile, feeling a sense of achievement, thinking herself personally responsible for helping Julius achieve his current physical state.

Julius began to get irritated from her smug behavior. "You talk big, but I'm sure that you don't have the guts to strip in front of me, now do you." He smirked, crossing his arms, figuring that he had her there.

"Ho?" Nonette raised her eyebrows, welcoming the challenge. "I think that you know too well that I don't back down from a fight." She smiled and threw her cloak to the side.

Julius immediately became flustered, understanding that she was really going to strip naked in front of him, perhaps fully so, just to beat him. Normally, he didn't have any problems with the bodies of women and especially ones as gifted as Nonette's, but he was a prince, it would be unbecoming of him to gaze at a woman he didn't love's body over something so trivial. "Alright, alright! You win, just don't take off your clothes!" He told her, waving his arms in front of himself, as she had already removed her white jacket and was left in her top.

"Hm-hm." Nonette hummed victoriously, crossing her arms, satisfied that she had won yet another bout with the prince, who had already started to dress himself, starting with his pants. "You may act all grown up, but you're still just a kid." She huffed, rubbing salt into his wound, amusing herself in teasing the prince.

Julius, having already put on his pants and shoes, was currently putting back on his gloves, as he gave the Knight of the Round an irritated glare. "I really hate it when you gloat like that." He grumbled, taking his top and putting it on.

Nonette laughed, as she walked over to him and gave him a hard slap on the back. "Cheer up, girls like a strong man who's smart, plus you've got your good looks going for you." She said cheerfully, laughing. "Though you have to do some work on that attitude."

Julius' right eye twitched and some of the veins showed on his forehead, as he exercised an insane amount of self-control to not make Nonette pay for making fun of him. _God help me, I'm so gonna kill her one of these days!_ He thought, trying to maintain his anger.

Calming herself down, Nonette looked at all the files that lay on the table with a curious expression. "What are those?" She asked.

"Those," Julius began, still riled. "are documents which I was working on, until SOMEONE interrupted me." He said, sitting down on the couch and resuming his work.

"What are they about?" Nonette asked.

Julius dropped the folders he had just picked up on the table, feeling completely annoyed by her questions. He let out a long and heavy sigh, after which he answered Nonette, knowing that he wouldn't be left alone to do his work. "All of this is information on Lord Shaing." He answered and before Nonette could ask him why he was reading them, he decided to explain that as well. "I'm trying to figure that man out, so he doesn't turn out to become a problem in the future."

"Why don't you just bring him in for questioning?" Nonette asked, not getting why he was going the extra trouble for all of this.

The prince face-palmed, not believing the sheer absurdity of her suggestion. "You know, I've been thinking this ever since I met you, but, are you an idiot?" He told her straight to her face.

"Hey," Nonette took offense to his remark and went over to him and placed him in a headlock. "show some respect to your mentor."

"Let go of me this instant!" Julius ordered her, as the two continued to bicker.

* * *

 **Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon**

The capital of the empire was certainly busy. The royal court had been assembled, since an important guest would be making their appearance. The usual political figures were present, though this time, the noble Zevon family was present, with its head Oiaguro Zevon and his niece Oldrin Zevon standing at the helm.

Oiaguro was a tall man in his late twenties. He had short cut blond-brownish hair with one long strand going across his face and green-bluish eyes. Head of the minor noble Zevon family, he was also the leader of the Britannian organization 'Pluton', which has carried out dirty jobs for the Britannian Imperial Family under the direction of the Zevon family for generations.

Standing next to him was his niece, Oldrin Zevon. She had blonde hair that she always kept in at least one ponytail and green eyes. She wore a unique uniform that consisted of a buttoned sleeveless shirt, a long-sleeved jacket, and a black and red corset and skirt combination worn over a short white skirt. She also wore a military officer-style cap along with her outfit. The young girl was an aspiring military academy graduate and was rumored to have been knighted by a member of the royal family.

The sound of opening doors could be heard and everyone turned their attention to the entering guest. She was a young woman with beautiful long pink-reddish hair that was kept in a ponytail and violet eyes. She wore a low-cut pink dress with red and black details with golden linings and what appeared to be white wings attached to the back of the aforementioned dress.

This person was Marrybell mel Britannia, twelfth princess of the Holy Britannian Empire. The princess walked over to the podium, with confused whispers from the crowd starting to be heard.

"Hello, everyone." Marrybell spoke with a serene and friendly smile. "To some of you, I am Mary, while others know me as Marrybell mel Britannia, twelfth princess of the realm." She said.

Whispers throughout the crowd continued to spread. "Didn't she lose her place in the imperial family?" Members of the nobility discussed among themselves. "Why is she back now?"

"I am here to announce that I have regained my place as princess with authorization from his majesty, the emperor." Marrybell continued to speak, putting all the whispers to silence. "Regardless of whether you approve or disapprove of this, I'm back and I'm here to stay." She said with a dangerous tone to her voice as she continued to smile. "Thank you for your time, that will be all from me." She said and left the stage.

After the assembly had been disbanded, Marrybell found herself waiting for her friend to arrive.

"Mary! There you are!" Oldring exclaimed, as she ran over to the princess at full speeds, pushing anyone unlucky enough to be in her way to the ground. The two girls were childhood friends and their relationship had strengthened over the years they spent together at the military academy.

"You don't need to make a scene, Oldrin." Marrybell told her with a nervous smile, seeing as her friend had bulldozered her way over. "I'm right here."

Taking the sheathed sword that was strapped to her waist, Oldrin began to look around. "But what if someone had decided to attack you- OW!" She screamed out in pain, as the princess pulled her cheek. "I'm sowwy!" She apologized with her cheek still being pulled.

Letting go of her friend, Marrybell sighed. "As my knight, you should be a little more courteous." The princess told Oldrin.

"I know…" Oldrin said, feeling stupid, rubbing her sore cheek.

Before the two could continue their conversation, a familiar voice rang out. "Mary!" Both girls turned around to see Euphemia approach them with a cheerful smile and waving at them.

"Ah, hello, Euphy." Marrybell smiled at her younger sister, who came over and hugged her.

"I'm so happy that you're back and well." Euphemia said, relieved to see her sister after so long, cuddling up to her, as she and Marrybell shared a hug.

"I'm happy to see you, too." Marrybell said, as she caressed her younger sister's head, making Oldrin who stood on the side pout jealously that the princess got special treatment. Marrybell was surprised at how much Euphemia had grown while she was away, with the girl being almost as tall as her. "Look at you, you've grown up so much!" Marrybell giggled, as she and Euphy let go of each other.

"Y-you think so?" Euphemia asked blushing, taking her sister's compliment. "I hope that it would be okay if we could spend some time together." The younger girl asked with puppy eyes, taking her sister's hand.

"Ugu." Oldrin mopped about, realizing that compared to Euphemia, she was severely lacking in the cute factor, which didn't go unnoticed by the princess.

"You are welcome to come too, Miss Oldrin." The pink haired princess smiled at her sister's knight.

Hearing this Oldrin perked up and saluted with a satisfied smile. "I'm honored, your highness." Both princesses began to giggle at her response, making the blond knight's cheeks to become beet red.

After this, the three girls had spent some time together, sharing a laugh and catching up for old times' sake. They had gone to a few shopping centers together, where, they decided to enter a lingerie shop among other stores. While Euphemia and Oldrin picked out what they thought was cute, they nervously noticed Marrybell going over to the 18+ section, from which she took a couple of pairs to try on. Needless to say, the princess bought them all, without any questions raised by her companions, who were too ashamed to bring up the matter of her taste in underwear.

"Ah, nothing beats a good old shopping." Oldrin let out a satisfied sigh, carrying all of the bags. As a knight, she had vouched to carry all of the luggage and make sure that the princesses were enjoying themselves.

"You sound like an old woman, Oldirn." Marrybell giggled, smiling at her friend, making her become embarrassed.

The trio had returned to the central palace, where they were about to go their separate ways, when they heard a familiar presence approach them.

"I see that you wasted no time to pick Mary for yourself, Euphy." A calm and friendly male voice said. The trio turned around to see Schneizel el Britannia slowly walking up to them with a content smile on his face.

"Brother Schneizel!" Euphemia exclaimed cheerfully, happy to see him.

"Big brother Schneizel, it's nice to see you again." Marrybell replied, greeting her older brother.

"I can say the same." Schneizel said. "Welcome home, Mary."

Marrybell blushed at her brother's remark, feeling rejoiced that some members of her family really accepted her. "Thank you." She replied.

Schneizel turned to Euphemia and Oldrin. "I do apologize, but I'll have to take Mary off your hands for a few minutes." He said, explaining his intentions, keeping the same cheerful atmosphere around them. "There are some things that I wish to discuss with her. That wouldn't be a problem, would it?"

Oldrin immediately got her bearings together and shook her head. "No, of course it won't be, your highness!" She said energetically, finding the regal air around the second prince and his kind smile more than enough assurance.

"I wouldn't want to get in your way, big brother." Euphemia said, after which she hugged Marrybell again, before she left. "I'm really glad that you're back, Mary." She said with the purest smile her sister had seen in a long while, as she watched Euphemia leave them.

"She hasn't changed a bit." The red haired princess commented with a smile on her face, as her younger sister disappeared out of sight.

"Indeed. That's what makes her, Euphy, after all." Schneizel replied with a smile.

Realizing that she was in the way, Oldrin hurried to leave. "Mary, I'm going to be waiting for you outside." She said, but then remembered that Euphemia had forgotten her stuff. "Ah, the princess forgot her new clothes!" She exclaimed in worry and rushed off to chase after Euphemia to return her items to her.

Both Schneizel and Marrybell watched the blond girl run off at dangerously high speeds with great amusement. "Haha. I see that the young miss Zevon is as lively as usual." Schneizel laughed.

"Brother," Marrybell asked him, wondering what it was that he wanted to talk about. "what did you need to discuss with me?"

"About that," Schneizel said, turning to his younger sister. "I actually needed you to do me a favor."

"A favor?" Marrybell raised her eyebrows, curious.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, Caesar Palace, Command Center**

With the remaining three Knight Grandmasters assembled and with Nonette by his side, Julius stood in the throne, that used to belong to duke Velaines, with his legs crossed and a smirk on his face. The whole military might of Euro Britannia was finally prepared for a full-scale invasion on the E.U.

"All forces are ready and awaiting your orders, your majesty." Shin said, bowing to the prince.

"Excellent." He said, rising from his seat with the imperial scepter in hand, his orders being relayed to the whole of the massive military. "The time for glory is upon us, gentlemen! We will show no mercy to our enemies and obliterate them!" He said, spreading his hands dramatically, making his cape float for a brief second, after which he raised his right hand in the air and lowered it forward, pointing with the scepter. "We are strength! We are dominance! We are victory!" He declared with a joyous smirk. "Death to all, who oppose us!"

"All hail Britannia!" The chants of all Britannian soldiers resounded throughout the country, as they began their advance. The four knights and the officers in the presence of the prince also saluted and chanted for the glory of their fatherland.

Pleased with himself, Julius sat back down on the throne. This was it, he would crush Europia and after them it would be the emperor's turn. _And yet…_ He thought, as his features formed into a contemplative gaze, the fingers of his left hand tracing over his eye-patch. _Why do I feel like I'm missing something…?_ He wondered, annoyed that this strange gut feeling wouldn't allow him to relish in the fact that the invasion had begun.

* * *

Unknown to the twelfth prince, a certain person in Area 11 had just gone through a series of life changing events. He had gotten in a big mess just by having wanted to check if some crashed drivers were alright and now he stood with a pile of corpses and a pool of blood in front of him.

Inside the darkness of the old abandoned warehouse that the boy was currently at, a small ray of light illuminated his terrified and disgusted face at what had been his doing. However, it also showed how a sinister grin and a mad look in his eyes placed itself on the dark haired boy's face.

"Now then…" Lelouch vi Britannia grinned, his time having finally come.

* * *

 **Well, what is there to say that wasn't already said? We saw a little bit more of Julius' other sides as a character, plus some more of his backstory, which I'm not exactly done with yet. So yeah, the main character is not only an edgy prideful teenager with super powers, but he also seems to be lacking in the shame department, a quirk which I'm certainly going to be using in the future and make him fall into some comedic situations. As for the rest of the cast- Shin's insane, Akito gets punched in the face, yeah, the usual stuff. I wonder how many of you can guess who was the second person that Nonette was talking with on the phone. We also saw the introduction of Oldrin and Marrybell into the story in this chapter. Now that everything has begun to proceed, Zero will soon enter the scene as well and his appearance will have a significant impact on events worldwide.**


	9. Turning tides

**Whew, finally finished this one. A lot is gonna go down in this chapter, so better prepare yourselves.**

 **Also for those of you wanting a Julius VS Zero showdown, don't worry people, we're slowly getting there, as you've started to notice that I'm building up the tension between Lelouch and Julius, which is gonna continue on in future chapters.**

 **Suzaku will most likely stay alive in this fic, though there's a chance for him not to make it by the end of this story. I don't hate the guy, I'm just considering my options, though if I had to be honest, without Suzaku, Lelouch's character doesn't shine as much, since there is no counter argument to present itself to him, which in turn makes things uninteresting very quickly, so yeah, put some respect along with the hate for Spinzaku.**

 **Kallen's fate is as of yet uncertain, though I believe its still too early to say anything. I imagine that some of you will hate me for what I have planned for her character, but that's for the far future.**

 **Also, I really wanted to reply to KingZeRoPL for his review regarding pairings. OCxEuphemia? So you guys are fine with me writing incest? I personally don't mind, but I wanted to hear readers' thoughts on that matter, since there are people who have strong opinions regarding intimate relationships between family members. OCxKaguya, rly? XD Anyway, this is still an open topic for debate and I'm interested to see any suggestions that you guys might have.** **  
**

 **Anyway, enough from me, let's get on with the chapter.**

* * *

Stage 9: Turning tides

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

At the W-0 base preparations for the execution of the mission to take down the Ark were ready. The four pilots were inside their Knightmares, which were loaded inside the large rocket that would once again take off into space and send them to their destination. The rest of the team were at the control center and were making final checks to make sure that everything would proceed smoothly.

As the rocket began to lift off, Leila gazed at it with concern on the monitor. "Make sure you come home safe." She whispered to herself.

"Let's keep our fingers crossed." Claus, who had heard her, said, crossing his arms. Unknown to anyone, he had actually set up a transmitter on both the rocket and the control room, making it so that his Britannian superiors were getting the information feed.

The rocket rose into the air once more and disappeared into the sky.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia**

Benefiting from his spy's work, Julius watched on the digital map how the rocket took up in the air and began its course. Sitting in his throne, the prince frowned at the device that was at his enemy's disposal. Present in the room were the three Grandmasters and Nonette, who had decided to accompany him to see what was it that got him so interested to summoned them in a moment's notice.

"So that's Apollo's Chariot?" Julius asked with an annoyed expression, finding the ultra-long range transport highly irritable to his plans, but then smirked, having taken counter measures against an assault on the Ark. "They want to eliminate my toy, eh?" He chuckled. "Too bad that I've taken safe measures against pests like you, Akito Hyuga."

Shin gazed at the enemy's method of initiating their operations, finding it to be the perfect tool for his own plans.

Nonette found the enemy's armament neat, as she wondered what it was like to be inside a Knightmare in space. Everyone continued to watch the map, as the rocket was shown to reach its maximum altitude. "Should I inform the kid on board to prepare himself?" Nonette asked Julius, referring to his failsafe.

"Yes, inform our friend that his targets are on their way." Julius replied with a satisfied gaze.

* * *

Getting into position, the rocket ejected the capsules with the Knightmares, which began to descent towards the Earth's atmosphere, gaining terminal speed velocity.

* * *

 **Over the North Sea**

Flying high above the vast plains of water beneath it, the Ark proceeded its intended course. Unknown to the Wyvern squad, however, a certain someone stood on board the giant aircraft. Inside the cockpit of his new Knightmare, Ashley Ashra chuckled madly to himself.

"I know you're coming…" The orange haired knight chuckled, as he had rested his hand on the side of the cockpit and crossed his legs, waiting for his opponents to arrive, as he had received intel that they were in-route. "Akito Hyuga."

Above from the sky, the four pods deployed their flaps slowing their speed, after which they ejected the Alexanders inside them, which deployed their gliding wings, with the rest of the unit monitoring the situation. Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya had received new versions of their Alexanders with the units being deep blue and each having neon orange, pink and green linings accordingly. Akito's own Knightmare looked the same as before, though it had received the same upgrades as the others. Their Knightmares had also been equipped with new weapons, which would help them take control of the aircraft. The four Japanese braced themselves for landing on the Ark, as they pinpointed its location.

Yet, seeing the indications of his scanners made Akito confused.

* * *

At the base, everyone was at work. "Wyvern Squad has detected the Ark!" Sarah reported, making Leila narrow her eyes, after which the countdown till they landed on the Ark began to reach its end, as the four Knightmares descended on it.

* * *

The four pilots disengaged the gliding units of their machines and began to freefall down towards the Ark. Landing successfully on its exterior, the four made their way inside, only to become confused by what they found.

Akito made his Alexander jump inside, only to land on one of thousands steel beams that supported the outer hull. Taking out his riffle, the blue haired teen made his Alexander come to a stop, as he scoured the premises for any sight of the enemy.

* * *

Back at the base, Sarah reported their successful landing, which she got feed off from the giant observation balloon that had been deployed to track the Wyverns'. "High altitude observation balloon has a lock on the Wyvern Squad!" Sarah reported. "Lt. Hyuga has arrived at the Ark!" She said, but then noticed a strange message on her screen, turning to her colleague, Olivia. "Does this seem strange to you?"

Olivia took a look at the screen and became stunned by what she saw, as more information feed came in. "Ark interior scan received!" She reported, with Leila bringing up the information on her own screen, becoming confused.

"Captain Clement!" Leila asked Anna for verification of the info.

"I've analyzed the data," The purple haired girl said, as she turned to her friend with a worried look on her face. "...but it's strange."

"How so?" Leila asked, wanting to know more, since the lives of their friends were at stake in this operation.

"It's mass is too small in relation to its volume." Anna said, confused. "It's almost as if…" A revelation hit her. "It's as if its hollow." Her statement made Leila worried, as then a report from Hilda came.

"Wyvern Squad requesting permission to authorize use of weapons!" The dark haired girl with glasses said.

"Alexander power plants have gone to combat output!" Chloe reported.

* * *

On the Ark, the fight had begun, as Akito found himself dodging gunfire from all directions, driving along the steel beam he was on. The Wyvern Squad found themselves under fire from countless Sutherland drones.

"I was wondering if anyone was home!" Ryo exclaimed, having located the enemies, and engaged his Linear Chaingun in Insect mode.

"There's more than I thought." Akito noted, not fazed in the slightest by the quantity of enemies firing at them, but then his eyes widened in surprise, as he saw a powerful adversary.

* * *

At the base, Leila was on the edge of her seat from worry, as she tried to keep herself calm and with a clear head, so she could be able to make the right decisions as commander.

"They appear to be engaging the enemy!" Sarah reported.

"Engaging who? And how many?" Leila asked, understanding that she had been right about there being guards on the aircraft.

"Still analyzing data!" Olivia replied.

* * *

Onboard the Ark, a bulky red Knightmare made its presence known. The unit was called the Ahuramazda. It was a heavily-armed Knightmare Frame manufactured by Euro Britannia and piloted by Ashley Ashra. It was armed with large triple gatling guns mounted to its arms, supported by levers from its shoulders, as well as a pair of handheld pistols, and a pair of SDA Lances for close combat. On top of its cockpit it had a large barrel of ammunition, which was linked by tubes to the gatling guns. Most importantly, however, the entire chassis of the Knightmare was comprised of Schrotter Steel, making it impenetrable to riffle rounds.

"Master Ashley… Good luck to you." Ashley remembered his deceased friend, Johanne's final words to him, as he grabbed the controls of the Ahuramazda. "Johanne, I bet you're lonely over there all by yourself." The orange haired knight said with a mad smile. "Just you wait… I'll avenge you. Mark my words!" He said and scowled, as he made his Knightmare go over to where the Alexanders were.

* * *

With the W-0, Sarah received a transmission from the military HQ. "Commander!" She said, turning to Leila. "Emergency transmission from HQ!"

"Joint HQ?" Leila asked, surprised. "Who is it from?"

"It's a direct line from General Smilas!" Sarah replied, surprising Leila, who received as some good news.

"Put it on the main screen!" The blond commander ordered, as the video appeared on the large monitor, with Smilas being inside his office, looking nervous. "Thank goodness you're safe, General Smilas!" Leila said, as she and the other soldiers in the room stood at attention.

"I am, anyway." The man replied. "But the government and military are no longer functional. The city of Paris is one big riot." He reported, not knowing that their conversation was eavesdropped on. "Nevertheless, I will not flee."

Leila narrowed her eyes, understanding that the situation was indeed dire. "General, the cause of the riots, the Ark fleet, is a plot concocted by Julius vi Britannia." She said, letting the general in on this information, not knowing that the man had already the same suspicions.

"Can you prove that?" Smilas asked.

"A mission is underway to get the Wyvern Squad onto the Ark." Leila replied. "We also have confirmation that they are engaging Britannian Knightmares." Leila clenched her fists, knowing that they didn't have any time to lose, as Britannia was most likely marching towards them at the very moment. "We must tell the people of Europia what we have learned!"

Smilas looked down, acting out his role. "Laying out the facts at this point might not help." He sighed with a saddened expression, but then his features turned serious. "Leila." He said. "People are always looking for an opportunity to vent their frustrations. It's human nature."

"But there must still be a chance!" Leila argued, not wanting to believe that it was too late.

Smilas narrowed his eyes at the girl, shadowing his hidden agenda. "If it comes from you, it might work." He said, making the girl become confused. "You should have the words in you to get through to them." He said, with Leila remembering her father's political career and the support he had from the people. "After all, you are the daughter of Bradow von Breisgau."

* * *

Aboard the Ark, the fighting was relentless, as the Alexanders continued to trash drone after drone. The European Knightmares jumped from steel beam to beam, as they evaded gunfire in their insect mode.

"If there are Knightmares here, it means Britannia is behind this, after all!" Ayano growled, as she dodged incoming fire.

"Ayano!" Ryo exclaimed, as his Alexander jumped down in front of his friend and opened fire, causing the drones to back away. "Damn, they're quick to turn tail, ain't they." The brown haired teen chuckled, as he then dodged to the side, rifle rounds flying past him.

Akito was scaling his way up to the drones that were shooting at Ryo, his white Alexander hopping from wall to wall. Getting on top, he quickly took out his rifle and filled the enemy unit with shell holes. "These things are just…!" He took note of the fact that all of the enemy units were drones and jumped to the side, to avoid the attack of another Sutherland drone.

Yukiya, having placed himself in a remote spot on the outer layer of the Ark, took out his sniper and began to trace his targets, effectively taking them down one by one.

"Hmph." Ryo grinned and opened fire, taking down an enemy. "They must not think much of us!"

"There's a ton of these things!" Ayano exclaimed, as she too shot down drone after drone.

Akito's Alexander was waltzing through the battlefield, taking down drones wherever he went, but he failed to realize that he was observed.

As his screen identified and target Akito's Knightmare, Ashley Ashra chuckled in his cockpit. "It's about time." He grinned, grabbing hold of the controls. "I was getting sick of waiting!" The Ahuramazda stepped forward on its platform and equipped its gattling gun cannons, getting into firing range. Ashley smirked, as the multiple barrels of the gatling guns began to spin and rained ammo rounds on Akito's Knightmare.

Noticing the incoming threat in the last second, Akito barely had enough time to doge out of the way, as the Ahuramazda's spraying gunfire completely obliterated one of the drones.

"Hahaha!" Ashley laughed, making his Knightmare's weapons aim everywhere, destroying anything that came into their line of fire. "I'll blow you away!" Akito's Alexander dodged like crazy, jumping from beam to beam to avoid the line of fire. "Die!" Ashley yelled, as he focused all of his fire on Akito, destroying the supports on the beam he was on.

"Akito!" Ryo exclaimed, worried, as he engaged the enemy Knightmare in order to provide some cover for his friend. His attack did nothing but further aggravate the enemy, as the Ahuramazda concentrated all its canons on him, making Ryo realize that he had made a mistake. The blue and orange Alexander struggled to break free from the rain of lead that was on its tail.

"Ryo!" Ayano joined the fray, opening fire at the red Knightmare, only to have the supports on the beam she was standing destroyed, making her Knightmare lose its footing.

The Ahuramazda's canons sprayed everywhere, as its pilot was intent on killing every single member of the Wyvern Squad. "Die! Die!" Ashley laughed maniacally.

Having relocated to another location where he could have proper view of his target, Yukiya ejected a sensor cable, which provided him visual feed of his enemy. "That's…" He recognized the enemy unit by its coloring, figuring that it was the one from Slonim, though it seemed to have gotten an upgrade. "It's that red Knightmare… I don't believe it!" He growled under his breath, as he got into position to open fire at Ashley with his sniper riffle and pulled the trigger. The sniper round, however, bounced off the Ahuramazda's armor, like it was his with a rubber ball. "Schrotter Steel armor?!" Yukiya exclaimed, realizing that the enemy unit would be very hard to take down.

* * *

 **E.U.**

Throughout the riot plagued republic, anarchy continued to spread. Cities were in a state of utter misery. However, everything came to a stop when a sudden transmission was loaded on every video feed and screen in the country.

The video was a live broadcast of Leila, who stood alone by herself. "People of Europia, there is something that I must tell you." The blond commander began her speech. "Please understand how foolish it is to start rioting in response to Britannian media manipulation." She told the people, revealing the truth of the supposed terrorist attacks. "We are a unit fights Euro Britannia covertly." Leila said, with the whole of Europia watching and listening to her every word. "What's more, our soldiers, the ones fighting on the front lines, are the people we call Elevens and keep segregated in internment camps: Japanese." She revealed the truth about her unit, informing the people of who it was that fought for them. "Out of fear of Britannia, we are robbing the Japanese of their freedom."

* * *

Onboard the Ark, the battle between the Knightmares was relentless. The four Alexanders spread out to dodge the Ahuramazda's gatling fire, which seemed to have no end. Bullets flew everywhere, as the agile European Knightmares traversed the infrastructure of the aircraft.

Akito found himself in a pinch, as for him it was harder to avoid the red Knightmare's attack, since it was mostly concentrated on him.

"You're not getting away from me!" Ashley exclaimed, thrilled that he would finally avenge Johanne's death. "I'll kill you!"

The Ark itself was seriously starting to suffer from the battle, as its exterior was slowly starting to come apart, due to all of the destroyed beam supports that were keeping it attached to the central core.

As the aerial battle continued, Ayano and the others realized why they were having it easier than Akito. "He's after Akito!" Ayano said, worried. "Ryo! Yukiya! Cover me!" She requested the aid of the other two, as she began to advance towards the Ahuramazda, trying to get some shots in, but her attempt only resulted in her weapon getting destroyed from the rabid gunfire of the red Knightmare.

"Ayano?!" Yukiya worried about her, as he watched the blue and pink Alexander jump from beam to beam, while Ryo's Knightmare fired at Ashley from a different direction, whilst trying to stay alive.

"It's all yours, Akito!" Ryo told his teammate, as he engaged the Ahuramazda to distract it.

* * *

"Britannia's flying weapon doesn't exist." Leila told the citizens of the republic. "After controlling the people of Europia with fear and causing them to riot, they will invade us and occupy us militarily."

* * *

Akito advanced towards the now distracted red Knightmare and while doing so rethought his approach. "Normal rounds won't work, huh?" He thought out loud, as he switched to heat ammunition for his rifle. "Let's try these." He narrowed his eyes and continued his advance.

While Akito was making his way towards Ashley, the Britannian pilot had already gone through most of the ammunition for the gatling guns and was down to the last two barrel caches. Ryo and the others were starting to find it extremely hard to dodge, as now the red Knightmare's fire was concentrated solely on them.

Ryo's Alexander jumped back from the beam it had used as support to dodge, but received a few hits, which knocked off some of the armor on the arms of his Knightmare and more grazing the hull of the cockpit. "Guh!" Ryo grunted, as he could feel his machine slowly come apart.

"Die, damn it!" Ashley yelled out.

In that instant, with the Geass effecting his conscience, Akito fired at the Ahuramazda from the side, taking out its right gatling gun attachment.

"Are you kidding me?!" Ashley grunted from the sudden attack, but quickly recoiled and concentrated all remaining fire on Akito's machine. However, he was soon alarmed to the fact that he had ran out of ammunition, as the alarms on his screen beeped and the machine's cannons stopped firing.

Seeing this, Akito immediately capitalized on the opportunity and went in to engage the red Knightmare, opening fire at it while quickly closing the distance between them.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ashley yelled out, as the Ahuramazda discarded its second arm attachment and took out its two machine pistols and opened return fire, while the Alexander's rounds bounced off its hull.

The Alexander got hit head on, its rifle being destroyed in the process, and stumbled from the impact. It quickly recoiled and made a beeline for the Ahurmazda, which continued to fire at it, making the smaller frame take damage, as half of its face plate was blown off. Realizing that he would most likely not make it to the red Knightmare, the Geass subconsciously took hold of him.

* * *

"Why do we hurt one another?" Leila asked.

* * *

The Ahuramazda continued to fire at the Alexander, which finally managed to get within close range, taking out its tonfas and engaging the bulkier Knightmare in hand to hand combat.

Ashley attempted to fire at Akito, but the Japanese quickly made his Knightmare kick away the enemy unit's gun from its hand. Using the opportunity, the Ahuramazda grasped the Alexander's leg, only for the white Knightmare to spring free, after which it jumped back into the fight. The tonfas weren't doing much against the Ahuramazda's armor, but the hits were enough to send it stumbling backwards.

* * *

"Are human beings really that sad?" Leila continued, as the citizens of Europia listened to her.

* * *

"Die…" Akito grinned madly, as his Knightmare charged for the Ahuramazda. "Die!"

* * *

"We mustn't be ruled by hatred!" Leila said.

* * *

The Ahuramazda intercepted the berserk Alexander and jumped off the steel beam along with it. "Go to hell!" Ashley yelled, desperate to destroy the white Knightmare.

"Akito!" Ayano exclaimed, seeing the two Knightmares freefalling.

* * *

"We should have freedom in all respects." Leila declared.

* * *

The Alexander and Ahuramazda fell on top of a large support, after which Ashley put some distance between him and his opponent, taking out his Knightmare's SDA Lance and engaged the white Knightmare.

The Alexander came rushing in, its attack blocked by the Ahuramazda at first, but then the smaller frame spun around and kicked the other machine, sending it falling one level down, jumping after it in pursuit.

"Guh!" Recoiling from the fall, Ashley began to grow weary of his chances, but his pride and memory of Johanne would not allow him to turn tail in this fight. Sweat began to drip down his face, as he saw the Alexander land in front of him.

Inside his Knightmare, Akito was solely intent on massacring the red machine, as the mad smile and look in his eyes glittered cheerfully. "Die!" He yelled out.

* * *

"However, with freedom comes responsibility." Leila said.

* * *

"Die!" Akito yelled and charged for the Ahuramazda, his Alexander swinging its tonfas unrelentingly, hitting it around, eager to make a dent in the other unit's armor, the sound of metal clashing against metal filling the air.

* * *

"So that we may live like human beings!" Leila declared.

* * *

The Knightmares clashed their weapons, with the Alexander jumping back to prepare for another attack.

* * *

"So that we may make this world a better place!"

* * *

"Die!" Akito yelled and slashed with his tonfas, sending the Ahuramazda further down, jumping after it and landing a falling dropkick, which sent the red Knightmare down to the core level of the Ark.

The Alexander jumped down in pursuit of its prey and charged straight forward. Ashely attempted to slash at the white Knightmare, but it caught his own machine's hand before it could deliver the blow.

* * *

"My father, Bradow von Breisgau, believed that this was the freedom championed by Europia." Leila stated.

* * *

"Die…" Akito laughed madly." Die!"

The BRS link took hold and the other members of the Wyvern squad could feel its effects, as the Geass that was affecting Akito began to affect them as well.

"This is…" Yukiya grunted, resisting the power's influence, his and his friends' Knightmares coming to a stop.

"It's happening again!" Ryo grunted as well, resisting the Geass.

"Die!" Akito charged for Ashley.

"No! Akito!" Ayano exclaimed.

* * *

At the W-0 base, the BRS activity did not go unnoticed by Sophie and her team.

"I'm seeing a spike in Akito's brainwave pattern!" Kate reported, as the data of the neural connection between the pilots on her screen began to scramble.

"The neuro-devices are out of control!" Ferilli reported.

"The BRS has activated?" Sophie gasped, surprised at the development, but intent on capitalizing on it. "Joe Wise! Record it!" She ordered her subordinate.

The chubby man worked away on his keyboard, sweat dropping from his forehead. "Dr. Randle, there's no time!" He said, as he continued trying to activate the proper programs as fast as possible.

* * *

"Die." Akito chuckled, as his Knightmare bounced off the Ahuramazda, landing on the wall to the side from which it springed onto the red Knightmare's arm, twisting it, after which the Alexander took out one of its wrist blades and plunged it into the vulnerable joint that connected the limb to the chassis. "Die!" The Japanese yelled out, as he severed the arm and jumped away from the Ahuramazda.

Ashley desperately struggled to keep the berserk Knightmare at bay, swatting at it with the Ahuramazda's remaining arm, but the quicker frame dodged and kicked the red Knightmare away, sending it stumbling a few feet back.

"Agh!" Ashley grunted, as his frame took damage and watched on the screen how the Alexander threw away the severed arm and slowly advanced like a herald of death. "You damn angel of death!" The Britannian Knight yelled in defiance, refusing to give into his fear.

Inside his cockpit, Akito continued to chuckle. "Die." The Alexander took out its second wrist blade and charged for the Ahuramazda.

The red Knightmare dodged the initial hits, activating its Landspinners to put some distance between the two units, but the Alexander quickly followed after it.

"Die!" Akito yelled and plunged one of the blades into the neck area of the Ahuramazda. However, the Knightmare's armor proved too dense, as the blade couldn't sink in all the way and the Alexander pulled it out, with the enemy unit slowly stumbling back and sparks flying out of the area where the blade had made a crack in the armor.

"You won't take me!" Ashley yelled, as his cockpit too had received some damage and there were some sparks coming off from the destroyed tech.

The Ahuramazda made to grab the smaller frame, but the Alexander jumped behind it, charging straight for the cockpit with its blade.

"Die." Akito chuckled.

Ashley, in an attempt to turn his Knightmare around on time, got caught sideways and stared at the impending blade that was about to run him through of the horrifying white Knightmare.

Just as he was about to plunge the blade in, Ayano's voice finally made it through to Akito, but not using the coms, rather the BRS link. "Don't do it!" Her voice resounded in Akito's head, making stutter for a second, which set the blade off course, making it stab into the top half of the Ahuramazda's cockpit, barely missing Ashley, and severing it, sending the Knightmare falling down.

Ashley was hurled out of the cockpit from the fall and landed against the steel floor, grunting, as he rolled over from the momentum. "Argh!" He grunted from the pain, as he finally came to a stop and began to stand up, blood dripping from his forehead and the terrifying frame of the Alexander in front of him. "Johanne…" Ashley muttered as he got up and took out his revolver, aiming at the Alexander. "You killed Johanne!" He yelled out and fired at the Knightmare, his shots bouncing off its hull, as it slowly began to approach him, but he wouldn't move an inch.

The Knightmare walked over to him and grabbed him with its hands, beginning to tighten its grip, the steel slowly crushing the orange haired knight, as he let out a painful scream. The Alexander lifted him up in its grasp, as Ashley got a good look at the Knightmare's damaged head.

"Aagh!" He screamed, as the Knightmare slowly crushed him, but he wouldn't die without a fight. "Kill me, go on!" He yelled, as he continued to fire at the Alexander. "Kill me like you killed Johanne, angel of death!"

Inside the frame, Akito grinned madly, as he would finally get his kill. "Die." He said, as the Alexander tightened its grip further, making Ashley scream out in pain and cough up a large quantity of blood.

"Johanne…" Ashley barely muttered, as he could feel his body being on the verge of getting squashed.

"Die!" Akito said, going to finish off Ashley, but then Ryo's voice echoed in his head, making him falter.

"Don't do it!" Ryo said. "Don't do it, Akito!"

"There's been enough killing, Akito!" Yukiya said, he and the others somehow managing to use the BRS for a reverse link that allowed them to get through to Akito. "If you kill him, it will be the same as killing yourself!" Yukiya said, wanting for the blue haired Japanese to snap out of it, worrying that otherwise he might not be the same afterwards.

"Akito!" Ayano called his name, trying to get him to his senses. "Akito, live!" She yelled. "Live with us!"

The voices of his friends finally reached him, as the red circles around his eyes disappeared along with the Geass influences, with Akito letting out a shocked gasp, returning to his senses.

* * *

"Now is the time when we must claim true freedom for ourselves!" Leila said raising her arms forward.

* * *

Realizing that what he was doing was wrong and that there was no further meaning in killing the enemy, Akito made his Alexander let go of Ashley, who dropped down on the floor, profusely coughing blood. Ashley stared up in surprise at the white Knightmare that had spared him.

* * *

"I won't give up." Leila said. "It doesn't matter if there are people, who see me as a fool for believing in humanity."

* * *

Akito tried to calm down his ragged breathing, realizing that he had been about to do something he couldn't possibly forgive himself for. He couldn't bear the thought of facing his commander with bloodstained hands from cold-blooded murder.

* * *

"I won't run away." Leila continued. "No matter the odds." She looked at forward, with her head held high and resolve clearly seen in her eyes. "My name is Leila Breisgau and I stand with you." She told the people of Europia.

All around the republic, people recognized her as the daughter of assemblyman Breisgau and began to cheer her name, seeing her as a symbol of hope. The whole republic began to chant her name, the nation finally uniting under a single hope.

* * *

Onboard the Ark, the other three Alexanders arrived where Akito and Ashley were and stood back and watched what was about to happen. They saw Akito's cockpit open and the blue haired teen step out of it, standing on top of his Knightmare, gazing at Ashley.

The orange haired knight was barely able to stand up from all the pain his body was in and aimed with his revolver at Akito, his hands shaking profusely.

"Go ahead, shoot. I'm the one who killed your teammate." Akito told him with a saddened gaze, unflinching at the gun pointed at him. "It was me."

Ashley's eyes widened, confused that the man in front of him was offering him to avenge his friend. Images of Johanne flashed in Ashley's head, how he would always go along with the orange haired knight's crazy schemes or just simply be a trusted friend, as Ashley slowly pulled the trigger of his gun. With anger steeling his resolve, he pulled the trigger all the way, a loud empty click resounding from the barrel of his gun, making Ashley realize that fate had decided to spare Akito. "Guh!" Ashley grunted, angered that he couldn't avenge his comrade and threw away his gun. "Crap I'm out of bullets. This just isn't my day." He cursed, as he sat down, still being in an insane amount of pain, but then smiled, thinking that it was his friend's will that saved Akito. "Right, Johanne?"

Akito stared at Ashley, understanding that the man had given up on killing him, at least for the moment. Ryo couldn't help but shrug at the development.

"For the love of…" The dark brown haired Japanese chuckled.

"What a corny plot twist." Yukiya ironized with a sly smile.

"Don't poke fun, Yukiya!" Ayano scolded him, her eyes watering up from the emotional moment she had just witnessed.

"Fine, whatever…" Yukiya shrugged.

While all of them had gathered on the core platform of the Ark, that was also one of the main flight engines, none knew the trap that was set for them, as the timer bombs placed on most of the steel supports detonated, sending the whole aircraft into fiery explosion.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia**

Having bore witness to Leila's speech that was transmitted on the screen from his spies in the EU, Julius slammed his fist on his throne in anger, an irritated growl escaping his mouth. This change did not go unnoticed by the others present in the room, as they gazed curiously at the prince.

The twelfth prince was furious that a single naïve girl was going to ruin his effortless victory over the EU, as reports began to come in that the nation began to rally itself. However, he still found it strange that she had a different family name. "Can someone care to explain to me, how a single girl, a nobody, is capable of ruining my plan?!" Julius asked with a hint of anger in his voice, highly irritated by Leila's performance.

 _Ho?_ Shin chuckled mentally, finding the situation amusing.

"Perhaps I can explain, your highness." Andrea Farnese stated, gaining the prince's attention.

"Speak." Julius told him, becoming more and more impatient with each second.

"There was a Britannian noble family that defected from the empire and fled for Europia." Andrea began to explain. "There, the head of the family, began a political career, which, had it succeed, most likely was going to make the EU an even more prominent threat to the Britannian empire. That was the Breisgau family."

"Britannian?" Julius raised his eyebrow from surprise, his gaze returning to the video of Leila. His interest peeked from the girl's surprising feats, he decided that Leila was a high priority issue that had to be dealt with. "Lord Shaing." Julius turned to Shin.

"Yes, your highness?" The blue haired Knight bowed.

"I want the whole of your Knight order assembled!" Julius stated, intent on removing Leila as a problem, before she could truly become a hindrance to him. "We'll be launching an assault at the coordinates provided for the W-0's base!"

Shin couldn't help but smirk. "Understood, your highness. I will order my troops immediately." He said and was about to leave, when an emergency report came in, making the knight smile sinisterly.

"Your majesty!" One of the officers said, having just received the message. "The Ark is gone! It has been blown up!"

"Tch." Julius clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Was it the enemy's doing?" He asked, starting to find the whole day to be full of annoyances.

Before the officer could respond, Shin stepped in. "That was my doing your majesty." He said, gaining a glare from the prince.

"When were you planning on telling me about this, Lord Shaing, hm?" Julius asked with a threatening voice, his patience growing thin.

"I knew that Ashley would prove incapable of defending the Ark from falling into enemy hands, so I had bombs put on the aircraft." Shin said with a satisfied smile. "You can rest assured that the enemy has been dealt with."

Julius frowned at Shin, angered that he hadn't known about his set up. _This man…_ he thought, becoming wary of Shin. _He killed off his own brother?_ Julius couldn't understand what was going on in the knight's head, finding his actions highly confusing. Furthermore, his opinion on Shin hit rock bottom with how he killed his own blood related brother. For the prince this was a vile act that demanded punishment, because in his eyes, blood siblings were the most precious thing one could have, despite his hatred towards his father.

* * *

At the W-0 base, the sudden loss of the signals alerted everyone to an emergency.

"All Wyvern squad beacons have vanished!" Chloe exclaimed, terrified.

"What in the world happened?" Anna asked, worried and confused.

"Ark status?" Leila inquired for an update.

"It disappeared at the same time!" Sarah reported, worried that implied. "Re-scanning now?"

"Did the Ark explode?" Olivia said, as she couldn't find any other possible answer to what was going on and from the data that she was receiving.

Hearing her made Leila's heart skip a beat, the blond commander becoming worried for her friends that were onboard the aircraft. "Akito…" She muttered in concern for the person she loved, staring in shock and disbelief, as her screen continued to showcase the Alexander's missing signals.

"Why?" Ferilli asked, not understanding what was going on. "Why have we lost their vitals?"

"Everyone's biometrics, they're…" Kate said, as she pulled up the info on her screen,

"The signals from the Alexanders aren't coming back online!" Hilda exclaimed, becoming worried, as she and Chloe worked away on their stations.

Joe Wise began to cry that they had lost the four Japanese, having actually become attached to them, while everyone else continued to work in proving the situation wrong.

"Olivia!" Sarah exclaimed, not being able to dig up anything. "Any luck?"

"No, I can't pick up the guide, either." Olivia said, as she continued going through information.

Anna buried her face in her hands, crying that all of the Wyvern squad had died out of nowhere, not wanting to believe it possible. Sophie pushed her chair back from her desk, crossing her arms and letting out a disappointed sigh.

Claus stopped the ongoing alarm from his station, having grown tired of the dread that filled the room. "It's too soon to give up on the W-0 unit!" He said, but then watched Leila stumble back and fall on her knees, her spirit crushed.

All of the energy that she had when she made her earlier speech seemed to disappear into thin air. She felt weak and crushed, tears starting to drip down her face, as she tried to not allow herself to cry in front of her unit. "Everyone…" She muttered through tears, shaking profusely. "I'm sorry…" She weeped, unable to hold herself back anymore and ran out of the control center, straight for her own room.

"Commander, wait!" Claus attempted to stop her, but she had run off.

The mood became grim among the W-0, as the loss of the Wyvern squad took a heavy toll on their group morale.

Locking herself in her room, Leila curled into a ball on her bed and cried. She felt utterly broken, feeling that she was a failure, that she was the one to blame for allowing the people she cared about to die. The last time she had experienced such feelings were when her whole family had been killed. Furthermore, a strong feeling of guilt began to nag at her, as she realized how foolish it was to pose herself as a leader to the people.

"Akito is…" She muttered, as tears fell down her cheeks. "I am no good after all, aren't I?" She cried to herself, her cat Eliza snugging against her, meowing to ease its owner's pain, as thoughts of all the time she spent with Akito, Ryo, Yukiya and Ayano filled her mind. Yet, as she grieved for the loss of her friends, she realized that what she was doing was wrong. "I just want for everyone to be happy…" She muttered, as she brushed away her tears, remaining sad, as she stroked her cat's head. "But I don't have the power necessary for that, do I?" She asked her cat with a defeated look in her eyes, while the feline meowed again and began to lick her hand.

As she grieved the lost, Leila couldn't help but feel that if Akito and the others were to see her now, they'd think little of her for giving up so easily. "No, I don't want to disappoint anyone." She muttered, Eliza meowing to her again, as if trying to tell her something. Leila, for some strange reason remembered Julius vi Britannia, beginning to feel like if she gave up now, she'd fail to prove him wrong. It was she that had spoken against his lack of emotional concern for humanity and now she had to prove that she wouldn't allow something like this to stop her. _I mustn't lose hope._ She thought, as she failed to realize that her left eye changed for a second, with a blue sigil in it. _They are alive, they have to be!_ "I must move forward!" She said, brushing her tears away for the last time, as her cat stepped off of her and snuggled on her bed.

Standing up from her bed, Leila smiled at Eliza. "Thank you for always being here for me." She expressed her gratitude towards her pet, which was now fast asleep, looking so calm and peaceful that Leila felt like snuggling next to Eliza and taking a quick nap, but she had other tasks to do. Feeling reinvigorated, Leila headed for the control room, knowing that the whole team was down in the dumps, intent on lifting everyone's spirits, since it was her duty as a commander to lead her unit, after all.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg**

With the Knights of Michael having begun their assembly, Julius was headed to the Knightmare developing center to see if his little side project was finished. Accompanied by Nonette, the prince and knight of the round entered the facility, which was a combination between a giant hangar and a test lab.

Inside stood the Lancelot Club, wired up in cables, its frame having been excessively studied by the Euro Britannia technicians, quickly making them marvel at Lloyd Asplund's work.

"Ah, your majesty, lady Enneagram!" One of the scientists saluted, noticing their entrance.

"Man, look at the little baby. It almost hurts seeing it all wrapped up in cables like a Christmas present." Nonette said, feeling bad for her machine that it had to get the research treatment.

"I've told you already, it's a necessary step in the furthering of our military power." Julius said to her, after which he turned to the scientist. "So?" He asked, crossing his arms. "Is my toy done?"

"Yes, your highness." The man nodded profusely, eager to not upset the prince and get himself thrown to prison or worse, executed. "We are just making final adjustments to the systems."

"I'd like to see for myself." Julius replied with a cold gaze, not putting it to chance that the researchers could've screwed up something.

"O-of course, your highness!" The man said nervously, after which he issued for the knight and prince to follow him. "I-I'll show you the way."

The scientist brought Julius and Nonette inside another large room of the developing lab, where in the center, surrounded by countless technicians that worked to make sure that the frame was in perfect condition, stood a black and gold Knightmare that was almost an identical copy of the Club. The machine's chassis was mostly the same, except for the shoulder armor, which had another layer of intricately designed plating in a form that resembled more the original Lancelot that was now in Area 11. Its head design had a dragon motif in it, as along with its single red visor piece and black face plate, it had two horns on the both sides of the head that aimed backwards and to top it all off, the Knightmare also had a crimson red cloak. All of the Club's systems had been integrated into the model and it was safe to say that it had also received an upgrade in weaponry.

"Wow, would you look at that." Nonette whistled, finding the paintjob a little too much, though she still dug the overall design. "So this is what you wanted the Club for."

"Indeed." Julius replied, a satisfied smile placed on his face, as he gazed at his new Knightmare that had used parts from the Gloucester he had used back at Warsaw. "Now this is fine a ride, suited for someone of my caliber."

"What's it called?" Nonette asked the scientist.

"Um, we haven't exactly named the unit yet." The man replied.

"Hmm…" Julius gazed at his new Knightmare contemplatively, wondering what name would suit it the best.

"I know!" Nonette exclaimed cheerfully. "Deathraze!" She said the name she thought up, gaining Julius' disappointed gaze.

"Don't go naming my Knightmare something stupid like that." He glared at her.

"Huh? Why?" Nonette tilted her head. "The name's awesome and it suits the machine."

"Your suggestion is denied and that's final!" Julius declared, intent on not allowing Nonette to make a name for his own personal unit. He wondered for a few seconds and then a confident smirk placed itself on his face. "This Knightmare's name will be Caligula."

"Huh?" Nonette's jaw dropped at Julius' choice for a name, finding it utterly boring. "What kind of name is that?"

"The mad Roman emperor, that ruled his empire through sheer terror." Julius chuckled. "Like him, my Knightmare will spread fear into the hearts of men."

"I still think Deathraze sounds way cooler." Nonette grumbled off to the side, receiving a menacing glare from the prince.

Suddenly, a messenger burst into the room, his features giving away his shocked state, as he desperately managed to get enough breath to deliver the news to the prince.

"Y-your majesty…!" The man panted, gaining Julius' attention. "It's an emergency!"

"It better be something important." Julius growled, annoyed that he was disturbed.

Important was a huge understatement, as Julius found himself sitting on the couch in his chambers, holding a letter, with Nonette present in the room, who had already read the letter. The prince was wide eyed and his mouth hung open from disbelief of what he had read.

"Clovis has been killed?!" He exclaimed. "And not just that, they're calling for an assembly for all Knights of the Round back in the homeland?!" He spoke with a completely distraught voice. The prince hadn't even thought that something like this would come up now of all times.

"The video of the culprit has gone viral." Nonette said, turning on the TV and switching to a media browsing feature, selecting the video with a masked man on the screen.

Julius and Nonette watched the video that was filmed when the suspect on Clovis' murder, an honorary Britannian, Suzaku Kurugi, was being dragged to his execution. The prince's eye widened in curiosity when he saw a masked man dressed in black and purple, wearing a long black cape, appear on a copy of the royal transport.

"My name is Zero." The masked individual's word echoed through the screen. Julius' eye narrowed dangerously, as he watched the moment when Zero turned towards the camera and made what was in essence a declaration of war against Britannia in front of the entire world. "The man who killed Clovis, was myself."

Julius turned off the video, becoming infuriated, as he ground his teeth and clenched his fists in anger.

"Huh, what a clown, that guy is." Nonette noted, after which she saw Julius lash out violently, breaking the vase of flowers that was placed on the table in front of him.

"Killed…" Julius growled, slamming his fist on the table. "Killed by a filthy Eleven!" He yelled out, his anger reaching its boiling point. The twelfth prince did not hold any happy notions towards that area, as it had been the place that took his siblings' lives and now to hear that another member of the imperial family had been killed there, he surely was going to kill the next Eleven he came across. True, he hadn't been on the best terms with Clovis, but the man still represented the family that he was part of, and his death would certainly impact his own image as well. "Zero, huh?" Julius sneered at the masked man, not having a single care for his motives or intentions. For the prince, Zero was a nobody that had entered the scene, though there was something in him that made Julius unconsciously uneasy. _So, another participant has entered the game._ Julius thought, as he was sure that this Zero character would prove highly dangerous if not dealt with. _We'll find out if you have what it takes to play, soon enough, Zero._ "Let's see you squirm, now that you've painted a huge target on yourself, mongrel." The one-eyed prince growled, angry that the appearance of the terrorist had impacted the whole of Britannia.

And he would be right, as the news of Clovis' murder spread like wildfire throughout the globe, his murderer growing in infamy by the second. Zero had very quickly become Britannia's most wanted criminal.

* * *

 **Area 11, Tokyo settlement**

Having failed to persuade his best friend Suzaku to join him, Lelouch Lamperouge, now known worldwide as Zero, was making his way home, having put away his costume, irritated that Suzaku wouldn't listen to him.

 _So naïve._ Lelouch thought, as he walked along the streets with a frown on his face. _I was sure Suzaku would understand._ _Change the system from within? Ridiculous!_ He cursed at his friend's false hope and beliefs. _The system will just swallow him up, it'll eat him alive!_ He clenched his fists in anger. _I can't beg for their charity to live my life, I just can't!_ He let out a barely audible growl. _I won't live by their rules anymore!_ He chuckled to himself, as he remembered how he had killed Clovis.

* * *

Lelouch had placed his older half-brother in checkmate, having one their little bout at the Shinjuku ghetto. Alone with Clovis, Lelouch had taken him hostage and had issued him to call a mass surrender.

"Are you satisfied?" Clovis said with a displeased expression, as he watched the man in a soldier's uniform walked towards him, pistol aimed at him.

"Very, well done." Lelouch, wearing a soldier's helmet told him.

"And what shall we do now?" Clovis mocked his assailant. "Sing a few lively ballads? Or perhaps a nice game of chess?"

"That has a familiar ring to it." Lelouch chuckled, as he removed his helmet, staying within the shadows to conceal his face, gaining Clovis' curiosity. "Don't you recall? The two of us used to play chess together as boys. Of course, I would always win."

"What?!" Clovis exclaimed at the terrorist's implications.

"Remember? At the Aries Villa." Lelouch told him.

Clovis frowned at the man in front of him, becoming angered that he would bring up a very sore topic. Clovis hated the Elevens for taking Lelouch and Nunnally away and now he was being questioned by one. "You!" Clovis addressed him angrily. "Who are you?"

"It's been a long time, big brother." Lelouch said, as he walked forward, revealing himself.

The moment Clovis registered his words and saw his face, his own face became flushed from shock, as he stared at his supposed to be dead brother, rising from his seat. "Ah!"

"The eldest son of the late consort Marianne and Seventeenth in line to the imperial throne," Lelouch bowed in mock gesture. "Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service."

"Lelouch?" Clovis spoke his name nervously, shaking profusely, as if he was seeing a ghost. "But I thought…"

"That I was dead?" Lelouch finished for him. "You were wrong." Clovis continued to stare unbelievingly at him. "I have returned, your highness and I've come back to change everything." Lelouch said with a dark glare in his eyes.

Reassuring himself that this was really Lelouch that stood in front of him, Clovis smiled at his younger sibling. "I'm overjoyed, Lelouch." The blond prince said. "They said you died when Japan was brought under the empire. What a blessing to have you back. We should depart for the homeland as soon as possible."

"So you can use me as a tool for diplomacy?" Lelouch mocked his brother. "It would seem that you forgot why we were used as tools in the first place." Lelouch said, making Clovis realize what he was talking about. "That's right, it was because my mother was killed." Lelouch said, as he continued to hold Clovis at gunpoint. "Mother held the title of Knight of Honor, but was a commoner by birth. No doubt the other empyreal consorts held her in content." He said, as his features scowled dangerously and anger was clearly written on his face. "Even though you made it look like the work of terrorists, I am no fool! You people killed my mother!" He growled.

"It wasn't me, I swear to you!" Clovis pleaded, trying to reason with his younger brother.

"Then tell me everything you know." Lelouch said. "The truth cannot be hidden from me any longer." He said and the Geass appeared in his left eye. "By whose hand was my mother killed?" He asked Clovis and his Geass took effect, entrancing the third prince.

Becoming completely calm, due to the trance, Clovis began to answer his question. "The only ones who know more about the circumstances surrounding Lady Marriane's death are second prince Schneizel, second princess Cornelia and twelfth prince Julius." Clovis replied, emotionlessly. "They can tell you."

Hearing his twin brother's name made Lelouch even more infuriated. "That bastard was at the heart of this?!" He growled. "Cornelia and Schneizel too?!" Clovis stayed silent to his inquires, making Lelouch realize the truth. "I see. That's all that you know, isn'it it." He said and his Geass released Clovis' conscience, after which the man immediately became panicked again.

"I swear it wasn't me!" Clovis pleaded. "I had nothing to do with it!"

"I believe you." Lelouch said, faking a smile and lowering his gun, but then took a step forward with a sinister smirk on his face. "However," He said and took aim at Clovis once more. "You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty."

"Please, you can't!" Clovis begged him. "You and I may have different mothers, but you and I are still blood!"

Hearing family being brought up once more made Lelouch frown. "You think that I would trust you, that I would care for any of you, when my own twin brother betrayed me, abandoning me and Nunnally to die?!" He yelled at Clovis, shocking his older brother with how much hatred he held for the royal family.

"I am not Julius!" Clovis pleaded. "He is insane! Surely you must know what he has been up to!"

"But of course." Lelouch chuckled. "He is second place on the list of people I must kill." He smiled. "It's sad to say that you made the list as well for killing all of those innocent people." Before Clovis could say anything, he pulled the trigger, killing his half-brother in cold blood.

* * *

Lelouch remembered it all too well, the starting point of his grand plan for the world. However, he wasn't aware that a surprise in the form of a certain girl awaited him for when he got home.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia**

Julius had decided to send off Nonette, since she had to depart for the capital right away, for the assembly of the Round Table. The two were at the airport, as the Knight of Nine's stuff had already been loaded onto her transport, along with the Lancelot Club, which was to be taken back to the homeland for further development.

"Well, it was rather short, but it was fun getting to spend some time with you, Jule." Nonette said cheerfully.

"Hmph. Just get lost already." Julius grumbled, standing with crossed arms and a bored expression.

"Aw, you may say that, but I know you'll miss me!" Nonette laughed, as she placed the prince in headlock, effectively getting him angry one last time before she left.

"Let go of me!" Julius growled, as he finally managed to break free from her hold. "Damn woman, you just know how to annoy to no end." Nonette laughed at his comment.

"Bye Jule, hope to hear from you again soon." Nonette said, as she waved him goodbye, making the prince roll his eye and wave slightly at her. "Best of luck!" Nonette exclaimed and walked away to get on her plane.

Julius saw her get onboard, after which he turned to leave. _Now then, one obstacle removed and onto another._ Julius thought, as he was about to exit the airport, only to stumble upon Shin. _Speak of the devil._

"Lord Shaing, what is it?" Julius asked him, aware of the possibility that now that Nonette was gone, the man might grow bold and attempt to turn on him.

"I wanted to inform your highness that my forces have been assembled and we will depart for Castle Weisswolf tomorrow." Shin said with a smirk, bowing in a mocking manner, which irritated the prince.

"Good, keep me updated." Julius told him and was about to pass him when Shin spoke up with his back turned to the prince.

"I'd be careful if I were you." Shin grinned. "Now that your bodyguard's gone." He had heard about the escapades in Area 11, about the man calling himself Zero and the death of third prince Clovis. All in all, to Shin it didn't matter in the slightest what some Eleven terrorist was doing, but he was grateful for the mass unrest he had caused within the empire, making things all the more easier for him.

"Be careful of what you say, Lord Shaing." Julius shot him a threatening glare. "With or without a Knight of the Round, I am still the strongest and most feared prince of the empire." He said and walked away.

 _The question is for how long._ Shin chuckled to himself, as he watched the prince go away. The grandmaster then took out his phone and dialed Jean Rowe.

"Yes, lord Hyuga?" Jean answered the call.

"Jean, make sure that everything is in place for the plan." Shin told her, as he turned to leave as well.

"Of course, lord Hyuga." Jean replied.

"It's time we took care of Julius vi Britannia." Shin chuckled to himself, the Geass in his left eye glowing.

* * *

 **As I said, a lot went down in this chapter. We are soon approaching the culmination of the first arc in the fic, with the impending assault on Castle Weisswolf and Shin's imminent betrayal. Incidentally, what do you guys think about Julius' new Knightmare? I will go into further detail on it when the time comes, but I will say from now that this won't be his final Knightmare, though it will be his staple for a while. Also, for the Nonette fans among you, don't worry we'll see more of our ninth seat Knight, plus I have a really important scene coming up with her in one of the coming chapters. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, I'd be glad if you left a review, cause its always interesting to read your guys' thoughts. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day!**


	10. Resolution of three Kings

**Finally, here it is, the next chapter! Glad I was finally able to find some time to finish it. Before we continue, however, I'm proud to say that Code Geass: Julius of the Empire now has its own TV tropes page! Thank you, RelentlessDarkness, for informing me, and thank you, the person who actually took the time to make the page, because it never crossed my mind that a story of mine would get its tropes page! (Though it would seem that all of you are hyped for when we finally reach the JuliusVSZero part XD) Anyway, let's shove my excitement and pride away for a minute so that I can thank YOU, the readers, for giving this story a chance and, hopefully, enjoy it.**

 **Now, with that out of the way, let's start!**

* * *

Stage 10: Resolution of three Kings

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, 1000km South of St. Petersburg**

The morning sun rose, bringing in the first rays of light for the day. It shone over the military base, which was preparing for deployment. Suthrelands of the Order of St. Michael patrolled the area, as the doors of one of the hangars opened, revealing the golden Vercingetorix equipped on a flight unit, that also was going to provide transport for Jean's Gracchus.

Shin Hyuga gazed at the status screens inside his cockpit, noting that they were ready for lift off. Still, he was indeed impressed with the technology provided. "A float system, huh." He shrugged, not realizing that what his unit had equipped was very different from the experimental system that would allow Knightmares to take to the skies without any hindrance in performance. "The homeland isn't to be trifled with, I see." He smirked, as the countdown for their lift off began.

Jean, inside the cockpit of her own Knightmare, inputted the coordinates for their destination. "Destination coordinates entry complete." The red haired knight reported, leaning back in her pilot seat and grasping the controls. "Auto-nav system activation confirmed."

The flight unit's engines engaged, as it slowly left the hangar and began to gain speed on the flight track. Off to the side, all of the Knights of St. Michael stood at attention for the lift off of their Grandmaster, as the machine slowly rose from the air. Becoming air-born and reaching optimal velocity, the flight unit raised its altitude and took off into the distance, its passengers awaiting patiently their arrival.

* * *

 **St. Petersburg**

Blood dripped from the steel blade, as Julius swung it threateningly to his side. His current opposition, in the form of Raymond du Saint-Gilles, was terrified, as the old man glanced between all of his dead subordinates that lay in pools of their own blood and the monster in front of him that slowly walked towards him.

"I am greatly disappointed." Julius' voice rang in the room, as he slowly and ominously walked towards the old grandmaster. "To think that you have been waiting for an opportunity to revolt against me." The prince, who had removed his eye-patch ever since the attack on himself, chuckled, his left eye glowing sinisterly. "What a shame."

Raymond du Saint-Gilles had planned to assault the prince and force him to surrender his control over Euro Britannia and release Duke Velaines, but he could have never been prepared for what happened. Having taken the whole of his force, even Knightmares, and called the prince to the HQ of the Knights of St. Uriel to prove his point, the old knight now gazed at the dead bodies of all his comrades and the motionless Knightmares, the pilots of which most likely had fallen to the same fate.

The bald man just couldn't comprehend what had happened, as the smell of blood slowly began to fill the room and his body froze from sheer terror, gazing at the sinister smirk and horrid left eye, the glow of which made him fall on his knees, his legs having grown limp with fear. One moment all of his knights were aiming at Julius, then he took off his eye-patch to reveal that hideous left eye and everything went to hell. His subordinates began screaming for dear lord, clutching their heads in agony and in their hysteria began to flail about violently and kill each other, while the twelfth prince simply looked on in delight. The old man was now by himself before the monster.

Julius stopped walking, now right in front of the old man, who couldn't utter a single word, having completely frozen from terror, making himself chuckle. "What's wrong? Don't tell me that you're going to have a heart attack and pass away before I can punish you for your foolishness." Julius laughed maniacally, but it would seem that his words no longer registered with the grandmaster. "This was all very amusing, but I have more important matters to attend to." The dark haired prince said, his face and voice becoming serious, as he then in one precise and swift motion severed the grandmaster's head from his shoulders, after which it fell to the ground alongside the body and a pool of blood began to form. Julius quickly stepped back, as to not get his shoes covered in blood, and threw the bloodied sword off to the side.

Gazing at his work without a hint of emotion on his face, he couldn't help but sigh. "It's going to be a drag to clean all of this up." He grumbled, as he put his eye-patch back on, but then an idea came to him, making a crafty smirk to place itself on his face. "Then again…" He walked off towards the armory.

Half an hour later, Julius walked out of the barren building, with a detonator in hand. He had made sure to plant bombs in all the necessary locations to completely leave nothing of the crime scene. He chuckled to himself, as he walked away with his cape floating behind him from the blowing breeze. Deciding that he was at a safe enough distance, he pressed the button, as the boom from the explosion resounded in the air. He could feel the shockwave from the blast, but paid it no mind, as he then crushed the detonator in his hand and threw it away. With an amused smile on his face, he made his way towards his transport that would take him back to the palace where he still had a few more things left to do before he could join Shin on the assault on Castle Weisswolf.

Julius was sure that allowing Shin Hyuga to act on his own would most likely prove problematic, but he had to make sure that he wouldn't return to a revolt that would cost him his position, thus making sure that the political situation of Euro Britannia was in his grasp was of high priority. He would have to deal with Shin when the time came.

* * *

 **Somewhere above the Atlantic**

In the sheer vast skies, a strange sight was present. A lone float engine was being pulled forward by an air balloon. The sea glittered from the sun light down below and there were almost no clouds to be seen. The air at that altitude was quite literary freezing. And yet, growling ruined the tranquility of it all.

Pushing their foreheads against each other, Ryo and Ashley were staring off, growling and freezing, with their noses leaking from the cold. Both were in their respective pilot uniforms, though Ashley had bandages beneath his and on his forehead to cover up his wounds from the fight with Akito's Alexander.

"I don't know why Akito trusts you, but don't think even for a second that I believe in you!" Ryo growled, as the two pilots tried to push each other with their foreheads, neither of them backing down.

"The same goes for me!" Ashley argued, pushing harder. "I'm not about to be all buddy-buddy with you guys!"

"What's with that attitude?!" Ryo pushed back stubbornly, as the two pilots continued to growl against each other.

"You wanna go?!" Ashley yelled.

"You're so gonna regret it!" Ryo argued.

"You're the one that's scared!" Ashley and Ryo continued their back and forth conflict.

"What?!" Ryo roared, but then both of them stopped, the cold getting to them, as they sneezed loudly.

Standing off to the side, Yukiya and Akito were watching the two bicker. While Yukiya found it quite amusing, Akito simply leaned against the wall and continued to observe.

"It's really cold up here." Yukiya commented with a delighted smile.

"I know that already!" Ryo and Ashley yelled at the same time, failing to notice that some of their snout fused together as it fell down. They became confused, as Akito and Yukiya stared at them speechless.

"Miracle." Akito noted silently, making Yukiya snicker.

The four were currently on the main engine of the Ark that survived the explosion. Yukiya had hacked into the air balloon of the W-0 to take control of it and hide their signatures. They had fixed up Ashley and attached pulling cables from the air balloon to the engine, thus being able to maneuver. It had all worked splendidly and now they had the element of surprise on their side, as they slowly made their way back towards Castle Weisswolf.

While Ashley had been skeptical at first about getting friendly with his saviors, he soon found out that being in their company wasn't all that bad. He could even go as far to say that he was actually enjoying himself.

The four male pilots were seated on one of the decks of the main engine, that also served as the control hub, so it actually had accomodations and supplies, which the pilots were grateful for. Sitting in a circle, the four boys had decided to pass the time until Ayano was done with making dinner, since she had drawn the short straw when they were deciding who was going to cook.

Hearty laughter echoed, coming from Ryo and Ashley, the latter having laughed at the former's joke and vice versa. "You are actually a pretty cool guy." Ryo commented with a friendly smile, as he ceased his laughter.

Ashley smiled and shrugged at his comment. "Well, you guys aren't that bad, either." The orange haired pilot chuckled. "You are certainly tough!"

"You're a hard one to crack yourself!" Ryo replied heartily.

"There you go again, flattering me!" Ashley said cheerfully, as both of them erupted into joyous laughter once more.

"Well, as true as that is," Yukiya entered himself into the conversation with a curious smile on his face. "why don't you tell us more about yourself?"

"Yeah, come on, spill the beans!" Ryo motioned for Ashley to speak.

"Alright, alright!" Ashley laughed, after which he smirked. "What I'm about to tell is sheer truth." He said, gaining the others' attention. "My mother was a wolf." He declared proudly, making Yukiya and Akito curious about his claim, while Ryo laughed.

It was true that he spent most of his early years being raised by a wolf on the streets. Life was tough back then, since survival was everything. Until Shin came to him. Ashley remembered that he was on the verge of attacking the man, since he seemed like a threat to him and his mother wolf. Strangely enough, the man offered them a place to call home, all in exchange that he became a Knight of St. Michael. Ashley had been suspicious at first, but all of his doubts evaporated, when Shin kept his promise. He had lived along with his wolf parent, which sadly passed away, due to old age. He made a lot of new friends, most of which ended up becoming his squadmates. Shin had become the man he trusted and admired the most, until the man's betrayal, when he and the prince set him up to die on-board the Ark.

"Really?" Ryo laughed.

"If what you're saying is true," Yukiya mused. "then can you speak like a wolf?" he asked, curiosity nagging at him.

"Huh?" Ashley became confused from his question.

"You know, the sound that wolves make." Yukiya explained, even deciding to give an example. "It's something like this, gyao gyao." Yukiya raised his eyebrows at Ashley. "Didn't you know?"

"You're wrong!" Ashley corrected him, giving him his own example. "It's wof wof!"

"That's obviously a dog." Yukiya commented, making Ashley become even more confused.

"Eh? What was it again?" Ashley wondered, as he loudly went through different wolf sounds, but it wasn't quite right. It seemed that a lot of time had passed back from the old days. "Hmm…" He mused, as he continued to go through sounds, trying to remember.

"I'm telling you, it's gyao gyao." Yukiya told him.

"Yes." Akito nodded with a blank expression. "Gyao gyao." In truth, that was simply how Japanese described wolf sounds, but the Britannian pilot was oblivious to this. Akito was beginning to find him as enjoyable company, even though he had spared him simply because he wanted to atone for killing his friend. The blue haired Japanese began to feel that they could actually make good friends.

"Gyao gyao?" Ashley repeated uncertainly and let it play out in his head a few times. "Now that you mention it, it may have actually sounded like that."

Ryo laughed at Ashley's predicament. "Don't think that hard about it." His comment made Yukiya chuckle.

"Just so you know, I'm serious about this!" Ashley argued his point.

Ryo chuckled. "If you're a wolf, then I'm a lion!" He declared with a smirk.

"What?! Really?!" Ashley exclaimed, shocked by the revelation, failing to see the joke.

Akito decided to join the conversation as well. "I'm a cat." He said with the most blank face and tone ever.

"Yeah!" Ryo agreed cheerfully and then tried to imitate a lion. "Gaoo!"

Akito decided to humor him. "Meow." He muttered out, realizing that he most likely looked and sounded like an idiot. Still, he wondered if Leila would actually find this funny, considering that she had a cat herself.

"No, Ryo." Yukiya corrected his friend with a cheerful smile. "Lions roar."

"Really?!" Ashley and Ryo both exclaimed, surprised by this revelation. It would seem that the two had a lot more in common than they perceived, their hardheadedness being one of many things.

"Your characters are overlapping." Yukiya told them with a sigh.

"They're not!" Both of them argued.

"Lions do something like this." Akito said and then, surprisingly, let out a roar that was curiously close to the real thing, shocking his companions for more reasons than one.

"Really?!" Ashley and Ryo exclaimed, not having known that it was true.

"That was… accurate." Yukiya chuckled nervously.

"Indeed." Akito nodded with crossed arms, keeping his blank expression.

Their light hearted chatter was put to a stop with Ayano's arrival. The girl didn't seem too impressed with what she had heard on her way over to them.

"What stupid topic are all of you talking about?" She sighed, as she approached them. "Come on, food's ready." Ayano motioned for them to get up.

"So pushy." Yukiya joked, as the four of them stood up from their seats and followed after Ayano to get something to eat.

* * *

 **St. Petersburg**

 _So far, so good._ Julius thought to himself, as he walked down the regal corridors of the palace. He had spoken with Andrea Farnese to warn him that should he turn on him while he was away, there would be dire consequences. The man, while displeased, seemed to have gotten the message across and would most likely not attempt anything that would result in his untimely demise.

Right now, Julius found himself heading to a limousine that would drive him to the flight site, where his Knightmare was prepared for flight and awaited. Still, it would seem that the day had to have another interruption for his main task.

"Your majesty!" Julius heard a voice call out to him, which immediately irritated him, since he would most likely waste more precious time. Time that could be used to neutralize Leila Breisgau and her unit, thus removing the seed of hope that Europia had. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

"What is it?" Julius spoke out, turning to look at the messenger, who stopped dead in his tracks, since his gaze was more like a glare.

Shaking himself out of the trance, the messenger bowed. "Your majesty, there is a call from an Europian general that wishes to speak to you."

"Europian?" Julius frowned and was quickly angered at his troops' incompetence. "How did he get a hold of a line that could reach me?" He asked threateningly.

"I-I do not know, my lord." The messenger stuttered out. "The man says that he wishes to negotiate with you privately."

Julius narrowed his eye. "Negotiate?" He clicked his tongue in irritation. "Does this mongrel believe that he is in any position to request my attention?" He growled, angered that some European soldier would dare to ask for him directly. "I have better things to do than play politics with some fool." Julius informed the messenger with a very stern tone, intent on making sure that he wasn't to be troubled any further. "Tell this supposed general that mere animals are not worthy to bask in my presence."

"Y-yes, your highness!" The messenger nodded profusely and dashed off to complete his task, lest he lose his head.

Intent on not allowing anything to get in his way, Julius resumed his course. _This whole politics business is one huge headache._ Julius grumbled to himself. _How does Schneizel bear with all of this petty crap?_ The twelfth prince wondered to himself. Sure politics wasn't something he was bad at, quite frankly he was very good at it, but it wasn't something which he enjoyed. He wasn't like his elder brother, who only manipulated the scales, no, he made the rules around himself and made sure that whatever came to pass, he would always come out on top in his own way.

* * *

It took only a little more than half an hour for Julius to arrive at his destination and properly prepare himself for the battle to come. Dressed in his black and gold pilot uniform, he entered the cockpit of his same colored Knightmare. However, it wasn't just his Knightmare that would fly for Castle Weisswolf, as the whole force that he had made Shin assemble was preparing to depart as well.

Julius entered the coordinates into the navigation console and leaned back in his pilot seat, crossing his arms. By now, Shin would have landed at the destination and proceeded to scout the territory. The flight unit's engines activated, as it began to gain velocity. The prince watched, as he slowly rose into the air, the machine reaching its optimal altitude.

Now a good amount of distance away from the ground, he enjoyed the privacy, as he removed his eye-patch. Whenever he was alone, he usually discarded his eye-patch, for there was no use for it. While he had become accustomed to working his way around with only his right eye and made sure to adapt to his blind spot, there was nothing like looking around with both eyes. The image was that more clear.

Gazing at the clear blue skies, through the video feed of his Knightmare, Julius leaned on his right arm and chuckled, enjoying the view. Now by himself and with nothing better to do, he considered the possible outcomes that awaited him on his arrival. "Either Hyuga has already set a trap for me, or is preparing to do so." Julius chuckled to himself, the Geass in his left eye beginning to glow. "It won't make a difference." He brushed his black hair back with his left hand, though it quickly returned to its original position.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

At the W-0 base, Leila had called for a meeting in the control room. She still remembered vividly how she failed to keep up her composure in front of her subordinates, something a commander should never do. Even though she had apologized, the blond girl still felt it necessary that she helped boost the team's morale. Right now, everyone was gathered at their stations and were waiting for her to begin speaking.

"Everyone," Leila began, her tone even and her expression serious, as she stood at the helm of the room, so that everyone could see her better. "once more, I apologize for my actions yesterday, but, even though we are unaware of our friends' whereabouts, I believe that we mustn't lose hope!" She declared, gaining surprised looks from her comrades. "We'll continue to search for the Wyvern squad's signal!"

Inspired by their commander's renewed vigor, the whole unit erupted into applause and cheers, making Leila blush slightly. She noticed Claus scratching the back of his head with a satisfied grin, which made her that more reassured of herself, seeing that she had the whole-hearted support of her team.

"Thank you, everyone." Leila smiled. "Now, we should-"

The emergency alarm began to ring, putting everyone on edge, as they scrambled for their stations. The map on the large screen showed two signatures heading their way.

"What is it?" Leila asked, confused and surprised, as everyone became on high alert.

"Units with unknown IFF codes have breached the security parameter!" Sarah reported. "They're heading straight for us!" She said, as she checked further data provided by the scanners. "Most likely Britannian…"

Claus nervously took a step back. "… Knightmares?"

Leila was shocked that they were being attacked so soon after she had revealed herself to the public. She bit her lip, worried if the Britannians were planning a full-scale assault, knowing who was leading them.

* * *

Within the forests that surrounded castle Weisswolf, all wildlife scattered away, eager to get out of the way of the galloping metal behemoth. The Vercingetorix stampeded its way towards the castle at an insane speed, courtesy to its quadrupled mode, which made the rough terrain a meaningless hindrance. The golden Knightmare, carrying its large SDA axe, sped through the forest, as its pilot, Shin, grinned inside his cockpit.

He was followed by Jean in her Gracchus, the silver Knightmare, barely being able to keep up with the other unit. The red haired knight couldn't help but feel that there was something strange, but even so, she would never doubt her lord.

"He's in an unusual hurry…" Jean noted, as her Gracchus made its way through the forest.

* * *

Looking at the screen, Leila nervously clenched her fists. She had been prepared for this, knowing that it was bound to happen eventually, but she couldn't shake off the anxiety that came with her responsibility for the lives of all her friends, as their leader. "Report enemy position!" She said.

"Enemy is to the north-east! Distance 25km!" Olivia reported.

"Closing in at a speed of 140 kph!" Sarah reported.

Hearing her report and witnessing the data for herself, Anna was shocked. "140kph? Through a forest?!" She exclaimed, unable to comprehend how a standard Britannian unit would be able to achieve such speeds under these conditions.

"Your thoughts, Captain Clement?" Leila asked her friend, as she sorted through the info.

Anna gazed at the readings, deep in thought. Only one possible solution existed for this predicament. "If it's a four-legged Knightmare that can gallop like an animal, it could run at a high speed on rough terrain." She said, turning to Leila with a worried gaze, unsure of what to make of her own thesis.

"A four-legged Knightmare?" Leila asked, but then the gears in her head turned and she felt her heart skip a beat, as she almost fell forward, grabbing hold of the railings of her control station. She remembered the golden Knightmare of Akito's brother clearly and the news that it was most likely leading the assault wasn't the least bit good. The blond commander remembered Akito's words on how dangerous his older brother was. Steeling herself, prepared to tackle this opponent, she gave her orders. "The minefield…" She said, gaining Claus' confusion. "Activate the minefield to the south-east!" She declared. "No, activate all defense systems!" Claus was surprised that they were taking such extreme measures just against two units, but Leila was intent on not losing to that man. "Use everything we have to halt their approach!" She ordered.

* * *

In the forest, the heavy stomps made from the Vercingetorix echoed, as it continued making its way to the castle, followed by the Gracchus. Hidden sensors picked it up and turrets in the distance activated, opening fire at the golden machine.

Facing the challenge head on and not slowing down in the slightest, the Vercingetorix activated its SDA axe, which elongated and began to spin rapidly its clockwork-like mechanisms. The Knightmare then proceeded to cut through anything within its path.

"They found us already, eh?" Shin chuckled. "They seem smarter than the fools of Europia's main force." He noted, as his Knightmare continued forcing its way through. "These will be worth crushing." He grinned.

Turret fire continued to rain on the Vercingetorix, which, thanks to its superior speed, was able to dodge all of the ammunition hurled at it. Taking out its signature shotgun, the golden Knightmare began to take out the turrets one by one, as each shot connected and was followed by a spinning reload, only to follow by more. The turrets were quickly dealt with and the Knightmare of the grandmaster continued its fast approach.

* * *

"Enemy speed is not decreasing!" Olivia reported.

"Approaching minefield!" Sarah added.

* * *

Stepping on the landmines, in a show of grandiose that most Knightmares lacked, the Vercingetorix sped through all the mines, leaving a trail of explosion behind itself. Where it stepped, soon after it was long gone, the mine exploded, leaving a trail of devastation.

* * *

"Minefield reaction confirmed!" Sarah reported, but then her composure fell from shock. "Enemy movement is not slowing!" She said.

Claus was beginning to grow more worried by the second. "It's running faster than the mines can detonate?!" He exclaimed.

* * *

Shin continued his approach, as he reached a rocky hill, which his Knightmare quickly began scaling, though it had to take a side route that ran along the hill.

* * *

"Enemy is changing course!" Sarah reported, beginning to sweat from the tension. "It's shifting 12 degrees eastward!"

Leila was surprised to hear that their enemy was charging straight for them, but she wouldn't allow this to topple her resolve.

* * *

Jean, having fallen behind with her slower Gracchus, was growing concerned for her lord, who didn't seem to stop his approach. "Lord Hyuga! You've gone out too far ahead!" She called to Shin over the coms, worried that she was unable to bodyguard him, as she began making her way along the river sideways of the hill that Shin scaled up.

"Jean, support fire. These coordinates." Shin replied, transmitting the coordinates to his subordinate's unit, as he continued his advance.

The Gracchus stopped to take out its foldable canon that used Sakuradite ammo. Inputting the coordinates that Shin provided, Jean prepared to fire. "Commencing support fire!" She informed and opened fire. The Gracchus' attack was like a small artillery strike, which completely obliterated the front part of the whole structure of the enemy base and the forest around it.

* * *

"Area around front gate hit!" Olivia reported. "System Sigma-3 is down!"

"Defensive wall activation in 90 seconds!" Sarah reported, as she and Olivia desperately scrambled over the controls.

Leila maintained her firm gaze at the Vercingetorix's signature. She wasn't going down so easily.

* * *

Shin chuckled, as the castle came into view from the distance. His Knightmare continued speeding through the forest and just as he neared the entrance, he felt a tremor, which confused him. In the next instant, a giant metal wall emerged from the ground, blocking his entrance, as it slowly began to surround the whole castle.

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Shin sped up and prepared his Knightmare for jumping. The centaur-like Vercingetorix flew high into the air, attempting to sneak through the wall before it reached its maximum height, but, alas, wasn't able to make it in time, as it hit the rough metal surface and slid down the wall, exiting out of its four legged mode and landing on the ground, with the wall now completely activated.

"Lord Hyuga!" Jean's worried voice ran through the coms. "Lord Hyuga, are you alright?!"

"A wall has sprouted around the castle." Shin informed her. "Scout it." He ordered and then chuckled. "We need to provide his highness with some intel on the enemy after all."

Jean let out a relieved sigh and proceeded with her orders. "Right away, Lord Hyuga!"

Gazing at the wall, the Vercingetorix took out its shotgun and fired a few rounds at it to test its resiliency. With his shots not even leaving a scratch on the metal, Shin opted for a tactical withdrawal for the moment, since he also had to finish his preparation for Julius' reception. Entering into its four legged mode, the golden Knightmare began galloping its way back.

"The commander of this castle seems to be more formidable than I thought." He noted, but then a strange feeling came from his left eye, his Geass having activated. The blue haired knight smirked. "Akito, are you still alive?" He wondered.

* * *

"Defensive wall activation confirmed!" Sarah reported. "We have visuals of the enemy Knightmare!" She said and brought the images on the large screen.

Claus chuckled at the now retreating Vercingetorix. "You'll have to try harder than that to get over that wall."

Leila, however, knew that this was just the beginning. "Remain on high alert. 24-hour standby." She ordered, confusing her subordinates. "Also, keep hailing Wyvern Squad's signatures."

"Roger." Sarah and Olivia nodded.

Claus looked at Leila, figuring that she was most likely exerting herself. "Commander," He said with a friendly tone and smile. "don't you think that you should get a little rest?"

"I'm not-" Leila wanted to argue that she wasn't tired and that the situation required her attention, but Claus cut her off.

"I'll handle things here." The middle aged man replied with an even smile. "This will be your only chance to rest."

"Lt. col. Warwick…" Leila was taken aback by his kind gesture.

"Sarah, Olivia!" Claus called out their names cheerfully. "We'll be staying here."

"Yes, sir!" Both officers replied.

"The rest of you, take a quick break!" Claus told everyone, gaining some confused looks, but he didn't mind them, knowing that he was doing this for their own good. He turned to Leila and smiled at her. "Go on, Commander…" He gestured for Leila to take her leave and rest.

Leila eyed him curiously for a moment, but then smiled warmly at him. "Keep an eye on things here, Lt. col. Warwick." She told him, glad that the man was committed to the unit. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up, as she walked down from her station and headed for the elevator along with Anna.

The other personnel also vacated the premises, though Oscar Hammel remained. The grey haired officer approached his superior. "Lt. Colonel." Oscar called out to gain Claus' attention. "Do you think that Akito and the others will manage to make it back?" He asked, wanting to hear the man's thoughts, if only to ease his own doubts.

"Come on," Claus shrugged and chuckled. "those guys would never die that easily."

Oscar could only smile at his reply, thinking it completely true.

* * *

 **Roughly 30km away from castle Weisswolf**

After they had finished their scouting, Shin and Jean now stood in front of their Knightmares, as they watched multiple air-carriers approaching. Leading the formation was a single flight unit, which carried Julius' personal Knightmare.

Seeing that he had reached his destination, Julius stretched his arms inside his cockpit and cracked his neck, having gone sore over the long journey. "Well then," He chuckled, putting on his eye-patch, as he spotted Shin and his lapdog. "the show begins."

The flight unit landed, at the large clear land that the Britannians would use for assembly. The Caligula detached from the flight unit, stepping forward. The black and gold Knightmare made a few steps forward, its sensors picking up the landing of the other aircrafts, which soon began deployment of Sutherlands. Julius' Knightmare was in full armament, with two long MVS swords sheathed on both sides of its cockpit and a sakuradite rifle in hand. Its large red cape was blown back by the wind, as the machine came to a stop in front of the Vercingetorix and Gracchus and their respected pilots.

The cockpit of the black Knightmare opened, with Julius jumping down and landing in front of Shin and Jean, who didn't seem to care for his theatrics. The prince had put away the key to his machine inside his uniform, so that his current companions didn't get any ideas.

Standing up, he smirked at Shin and crossed his arms. "So," He began with a mocking tone, as more and more aircrafts landed around them. "Lord Shaing, what have you to report for me?" He asked, raising his eyebrow. "Surely you didn't laze about until my arrival."

Jean stood next to Shin, hiding her growing discomfort from dealing with the prince, as she clenched her fists, though Shin ignored her. "Of course not, your highness." Shin replied, hiding his anticipation for when he would finally have the prince where he wanted him. Shin turned to his side, seeing that the mobile bases were already being setup along with more soldiers, Knightmares and weaponry being taken out of the aircrafts. "We scouted the perimeter and the enemy's defenses." The blue haired knight explained. "They've setup a huge wall around their base, which I believe can only be penetrated by heavy artillery fire."

"Hmph." Julius shrugged, as he turned to look at the assembling army. "Stalling out the inevitable, huh?" He chuckled, as he then returned his attention back to Shin. "And what of the enemy personnel?" He asked. "I was informed that there is one of our own inside."

"We have ordered the spy to ensure the enemy's crippling surrender." Shin replied, gaining a surprised look from Julius. "We've arranged for the meeting to happen on remote territory not too far away from here."

Julius narrowed his eye at the man. He was clearly up to something, but he would deal with him when the time came. If his claims that the enemy would be surrendering were true, then he would be able to sate his curiosity about Leila Breisgau. After that, he would dispose of Shin and take possession of that secret weapon that her unit had. A transport that could allow one to strike anywhere on the globe was indeed an asset he wished to have.

"Fine then. I want to be informed when we will be setting off for the meeting." Julius shrugged, figuring that that was all the info they had on hand. "Other than that, you are dismissed." He waved them off to leave, as he turned around and walked over to his Knightmare, taking out his key from his pocket and activating it.

The black machine knelt down, the cockpit opening so the prince could enter. Entering his machine, with the cockpit closing behind him, and activating its controls, the Knightmare rose to its feet. Shin and Jean watched the clone of the Lancelot model walk away from them, as it was headed for one of the mobile bases. Shin narrowed his eyes at the unit, finding it the most troublesome hindrance in his path at the moment, but there were ways around it. Jean, however, was very unnerved by the prince's Knightmare. She remembered reading the data statistics and reports on Nonette Enneagram's Lancelot Club and she was blown away by the performance of the machine. If the prince was seriously as dangerous as he claimed to be, then he would be a serious threat to her lord.

A soldier approached Shin and bowed in front of him. "The order of Michael's Black, Blue and White regiments have arrived." The soldier informed his superior.

Shin looked at the soldier. As Grandmaster of the order, he had full authority over the knights, but right now the prince's orders were above his, so he had to tread carefully, for not all of the knights were as loyal to him as Jean and some others. "Have all troops take their assigned positions." Shin ordered. "Remain on 24-hour combat alert. Tell them not to forget that this is enemy territory." He said and turned to walk away. "Relay my orders to prince Julius and inform me if his highness has some discontent with them."

"Yes, my lord!" The soldier replied.

* * *

Inside the control center of Castle Weisswolf, Claus, Sarah and Olivia were hard at work on their stations, though they occasionally took a coffee break.

"Sorry about this, girls." Claus chuckled, as he took a sip of his coffee. "You are the only actual military personnel."

"It's fine." Olivia replied.

"Indeed." Sarah nodded. "We've been trained to handle long-duration missions."

"You have, huh?" Claus replied, looking at his bitter coffee. His mind was troubled with a lot of things. He had received his orders by his Britannian superiors to arrange for the surrender of the W-0, but he had actually become attached to all of the people he had worked alongside and he didn't want to sell them out, only so they would die a dog's death. He'd have to confront Leila about this and convince her to act so she could save the lives of everyone here. He let out a heavy sigh and looked at the room around him with a worried gaze. "Still, I'd rather not have this castle turned into a battlefield."

* * *

 **E.U.**

Throughout the republic, the masses were lined up on the streets chanting for Leila Breisgau. The blond commander's name had become synergeous with hope for the citizens of the E.U. The streets were filled with cheering people, as a political proclamation was about to take place at the Presidential Office. They had been informed that the provisional government had an important message, but that was all that they knew.

Inside the room, where the broadcast was going to be held, stood Gene Smilas, who waited patiently to make his announcement. The man was calm, standing between two flags of the nation and a microphone in front of him. However, no one knew that under his calm surface the man was furious. He had failed to get in touch with the Britannian prince and convince him to work together, even though he was sure that he would be able to meet all of the royal's demands.

 _Damned brat._ Smilas cursed in his thoughts. _I should've predicted that someone as prideful as him wouldn't be open to negotiations._ The general sighed, but resumed his even expression. _No matter, the scales will tip in my favor, even if there are sacrifices to be made._ He thought, though he then noticed the camera man giving him the go signal.

Straightening himself, now that he was on live international television, the general began his speech. "Citizens of Europia, there are sad news that I must report to you." He said, as the whole of the nation listened to his words. "The woman who kindled the fires of courage and hope within us all, Leila Breisgau, is dead." He dropped the bombshell, which was of course a fabricated lie that he would use to rally everyone to fight against Britannia, all to complete his ambition of ruling over all of Europe. "Leila Breisgau is dead." Smilas repeated, making sure that his message came across to everyone. "We have confirmed reports from Castle Weisswolf Base, where Leila Breisgau was stationed, came under attack by Euro Britannia and was destroyed." He continued, now sure that everything would work out perfectly, since he had learned that the siege of the castle was led by the Britannian prince. So what if he killed off Leila prematurely? There was no way she and her squad would survive a second encounter with the homicide prince.

"Weisswolf Castle was located some 1000km away from our border with Euro Britannia, but our enemy crossed it and attacked." The general continued, moving on to the main part of his speech. "The one leading the assault, the monster of the Britannian imperial family, Julius vi Britannia, killed our Leila and all of the staff and officers with her." Smilas knew that people reacted stronger when they had a face to blame and seeing as the prince's reputation was ideal for such use, he had a perfect target. "I shall continue what Leila Breisgau started." The general declared. "The Britannians will pay for killing her." He said narrowing his eyes, in order to make his speech have more hold in people's minds.

"For untold years, our ancestors were exploited and oppressed by royals and nobility. And they righted that injustice by means of the Revolution, driving away the Britannians from Europe." He continued. "However, the descendants of those who escaped to the new world have been waiting for the right time to take their revenge!" He declared, clutching his fist in front of himself. "The Britannian emperor sent his most volatile offspring at our throats! Everyone remembers the brutal conquest of Warsaw!" Smilas said, his tone rising higher. "Julius vi Britannia is a merciless and cunning beast that will not stop until all in his path are but dust! Now is the time for all of us to rise in arms, together!" He declared, raising his fist in the air. "We will not allow those fiends to reclaim the lands they were driven from and we will not bow before nobles and royals ever again!" Smilas concluded his speech. "We will rise for the tomorrow that Leila Breisgau tried to protect and fight for our future!"

All throughout the E.U., the despair that had filled people when they heard that Leila had been killed, was replaced by newfound anger and drive. The whole nation was finally allied against a common enemy, Britannia and its image, Julius vi Britannia. The people would rise in arms to do what even the Britannians themselves could not, defeat the homicide prince and drive Euro Britannia out.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

Having watched the whole speech in her office, Leila gazed at her screen in silent thought, unsure what to make of the general's betrayal, until Claus stomped furiously into the room and took a seat across from her. She eyed him curiously, seeing his frowning features and clenched fists.

Claus himself had a right to be angry. Not only did their allies betray them and leave them to their fate, but they also sold them out, so that they could rally the people and send on a suicide war against Britannia. Taking a drink from his alcoholic beverage, he let out a sigh and calmed himself down before speaking. "Looks like Gen. Smilas' regime has assumed full control of Europia." He noted, looking at Leila, who stayed silent, worry clearly written in her eyes. "The General cut a deal with Britannia and tried to renew it, but failed, because the Britannian prince cut him off." Claus chuckled at the general's expense.

"Do you have proof of that?" Leila asked him, clenching her fists, the situation having become even more dire than it previously was.

Claus smiled and leaned back in his chair and pointed to the floor. "I sold intel on this place to Britannia." He confessed, gaining a sad look from Leila. "If the General really did care about you, he wouldn't have made me your second in command." Claus shrugged, as he rose from his seat and walked in front of Leila's desk, while her cat meowed from under her bed.

Leila looked down, realizing the man's motivation and she couldn't bring herself to blame him for it. "You did it to pay for your daughter's medical bills, right?" She asked with a solemn look, gaining a frown from her second in command.

"You knew everything, but you left me at large?" He asked her, clicking his tongue at how trusting she was.

Leila narrowed her eyes at him. "People can change."

Claus furiously slammed his fist on the desk. "They never change!" He yelled, but Leila stared unflinching back at him. "Once scum, always scum!" Claus sighed, as he walked over to the window behind Leila. "Just hand over the castle and the secret weapon to the prince. If you do that, then perhaps he will let it slide that you ruined his plan." He sighed once more. "That's the only way that you guys have a chance to get out of this alive."

"If Euro Britannia gets their hands on the ultra-long range transport, war will spread to every corner of the globe." Leila stated, knowing full well that if she surrendered she would be dooming the whole world.

"You risking your neck to fight here isn't going to change anything." Claus told her, as she rose from her seat to look at him. "The world's not that nice a place."

Leila could see it in Claus' eyes, the pain. She could recall in how many people she had seen the pain they hid inside themselves. Ryo, Yukiya, Ayano, Akito and even Julius. Everyone seemed to have something to prove that there really was no kindness in the world. She herself was no exception, but she wanted to change this state of despair that had taken over humanity. She wanted for all man and woman alike to be equal and happy. That was her dream, ever since her childhood, a dream she dearly held on to and would not allow anything to take it away from her.

"I'll-" She wanted to reason with Claus, to make him see things her way, but he cut her off.

"Listen!" Claus told her, as he walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders to make sure that she was clearly listening to what he had to say. He didn't want to see the people, he had become attached to, get slaughtered. "Just worry about saving your life and the lives of the people here!" He told her. "That's more than enough! Nobody could fault you for that!" She gazed at him sadly, making him sigh. "Rabble-rousers like Smilas are never the ones who die. They pile-up corpses underfoot and use them as a steppingstone to reach the high fruit they're after." She stayed silent in thought. "The General wants to make himself emperor of Europia. You were just a means to that end." He said and watched, as silent tears fell from Leila's eyes, the reality of being betrayed coming straight at her. "I've already set up the negotiations with Euro Britannia." He said, turning his back to her. "Please draw up a letter of surrender."

* * *

 **Britannian base near Castle Weisswolf**

The sun was beginning to set, as Julius gazed at it from the control room of his base. He was sitting in his throne, looking at the large digital map in front of him of the enemy base, inspecting the location they were in, for any possible ambush sites.

His silent contemplation was ruined with the arrival of four individuals, which made him let out a frustrated sigh. Entering the room, Jean Rowe, followed by three Knights bowed in front of the prince, who didn't even spare the effort to look at them.

"Greetings, your highness." All of them said in synch, as they rose to their feet, gaining a small glance from the prince.

He let out another sigh, seeing as this would most likely be another mundane affair he would have to deal with. Oh the chores of being in charge. "Pray tell, why have you decided to bother me, Lady Rowe?" Julius asked Jean, who frowned at the way he addressed her, which provided some mild amusement for the prince, since he knew that she was sensitive on the knight-gender topic.

"The knights behind me, your highness," Jean gestured to the trio behind her. "are the three Swordmasters of the order of St. Michael." She explained, since she was left in charge by Shin, who she wasn't aware what he was currently doing. "They have a few questions for you." Julius raised his eyebrow at the three Knights, wondering what could they possibly want.

"Your higness," The one on the right, Brondello, began. "We wish to ask why did we need to cross the border to take this castle in the middle of nowhere?"

Julius frowned at the man's question. It would seem that Shin did a poor job of explaining the operation to their troops, but he figured that he himself wasn't obliged to answer their question and would get some amusement out of this, as repayment for being interrupted. "Since Lord Shaing has seen fit not to inform you, I will be the one to tell you, that we are preparing for a raid on enemy territory." He smirked, seeing the confused look of the three knights, since his answer wasn't anything specific. "Surely, knights of great prestige such as yourself wouldn't cower from a fight, even if they aren't aware of the circumstances?" He continued to smirk, as he gestured to them with his hand, as then a mocking smile placed itself on his face. "Or are you afraid to fight? How unsightly."

The three knights stood at attention and bowed, realizing where the prince was headed and that he was most likely displeased with being troubled. "No, your highness." They said. "We simply wished to get some clarification on the situation."

"If that is all, then you are more than welcome to leave." Julius replied, narrowing his eye at all of them, as he leaned on his left hand, which was playing with one of the crystals of his eye-patch.

"Yes, my lord." The four knights bowed and exited the control room.

After they did and were a good distance away from the room, Jean turned to them and chuckled.

"So far you've done a poor job to prove the fearsome reputation of the three Swordmasters, disciples of Lord Manfredi." She mocked them with a smug smile.

"Why you-!" Scholtz roared, attempting to slash at her, but was stopped by Dore.

"Stop it, Scholtz!" Dore told him, as he then turned to Jean. "When will the battle be?!" He confronted her, eager to prove that they were more than worthy of their titles.

Jean was about to walk away but stopped with her back turned to them. "I cannot tell you that just yet, but I'm sure that you gentlemen will be ready and waiting when the battle finally comes." She mocked them once more and left, leaving them out of Shin's plan, knowing that their loyalty lay with the deceased Manfredi and not with their new master.

Elsewhere in the forest near the base, Shin Hyuga had wandered off by himself, drawn in by strange voices, like in a trance. He walked through the forest, as he continued to hear a familiar voice call out his name.

"Shin…" It echoed, but grew louder with every step he took.

Shin continued to walk, but came to a stop and drew out his sword, once the voice sounded like it was near him.

"Shin… my most beloved child." He turned around to gaze at the empty forest, the Geass in his left eye becoming active unwillingly. The blue haired Knight was confused by hearing the voice over and over again.

"My Shin…" His eyes widened upon realization, as he turned around to see the figure of his dead mother standing across from him. "I didn't want you to turn out as your father did." The figure said, as he continued to stare at it. "Forgive me!" It said, as it drew closer to him.

Shin aimed his sword at her, realizing that she was just another ghost that haunted him. "Away with you. I thought I told you that a woman like you is no mother of mine." He spat out venomously, but recoiled when the ghost of his mother dropped to her knees in front of him.

"I know, so please protect Akito." She begged him, making Shin frown.

"By betraying father?" He growled, his face twisting in anger, as the ghost of his mother looked solemnly at him.

"Akito's father was kind to me. But he was killed by your father." The ghost said, as it began to shift into a more grotesque version of the time when Shin had killed her. "Oh, he was killed…" The ghost continued, as its voice began to twist and distort in a sickening way. "And then I was killed by you… Me, the woman who gave birth to you."

Unable to take anymore, Shin frowned and yelled out furiously. "Begone, ghost!" He slashed at the figure of his dead mother, making it disintegrate into dust with a disgusting scream.

However, Shin then heard another familiar voice. "Shin, my younger brother… Shin Hyuga."

Shin turned around and smiled warmly when he saw the image of Michelle Manfredi, who still had that gnashing wound on his neck and blood all over himself from the time he had ordered him to commit suicide. "Lord Manfredi." Shin looked at the man, who had been so accepting of him that the blue haired knight had become to consider him like an older brother.

"Hurry to my side, Shin." Manfredi smiled warmly at him. "I wish to be reunited with you soon."

Overjoyed to hear that the man held no ill will against him, Shin turned to face Manfredi, smiling happily. "It won't be long. Soon, I can join you, Manfredi." Shin replied.

"I am also waiting." Shin turned around to see the ghost of Maria Shaing, his adoptive mother, who had been nothing but kind to him, ever since she accepted him into her family. "I may only be your foster mother, but I love you all the same." The ghost said with a warm smile, as its wound from her death was present, along with all the blood.

"And I you, Maria." Shin replied, becoming more and more content from hearing that the people he held dearest to himself still loved and cherished him, even in death. "I wish to be reunited with you soon."

"Brother…" Shin heard and saw the ghost of Alice, his adopted younger sister, appear alongside that of her mother. The girl's dress was dripped in blood from the wound of her death. "I miss you, too." Alice smiled at him. "It's so very cold here… Hurry. Please hurry and join us, Brother."

Shin stood in between the three ghosts that yearned to meet up with him again. That alone was enough to make Shin content. All he wanted was the love of someone who would not betray him and seeing how the people who he had liberated from the pains of life still held him dear, he knew that he would be more than happy to reunite with them.

"If I can…" Shin said with a small smile, as he raised his blade against his neck and grabbed firm with both hands, eager to rejoin the people he loved. The ghosts looked at him with unwavering warmth and love, as he was about to run the blade through his neck. "I love you." He told the ghosts, as he was about to plunge the blade into his neck, but found his hands stopped.

"Lord Hyuga!" He was taken out of his trance, as he saw Jean in front of him, gripping his hands desperately to keep them from taking their owner's life. The ghosts around him disappeared and he noticed that the sun had set and it was night time. "Please stop this, Lord Hyuga!" Jean begged him, as he slowly came to, realizing that she was there and saw her worried expression.

"Ghosts were speaking to me." Shin said, looking around himself, confused from what had happened, his Geass still active in his left eye, though it didn't seem to take an effect on Jean, or she didn't seem to notice. She let out a relieved sigh, when she saw him shake his head lightly, his Geass disappearing. "No, there can be no such things as ghosts." He said, as he allowed Jean to take the blade from his hands and throw it to the side. "This world is not so wonderful that the dead would cling to it." He chuckled, slowly going into a laughing fit.

Jean was pained to see her lord like this, as she wrapped her arms around him, with tears in her eyes, making him stop. Shin was the only person to be kind to her and take her in to give her a chance, a woman, who was aspiring to become an accomplished knight, something which was seen as blasphemous and ridiculous in Euro Britannia, even though in the homeland there was no such sexism. She didn't remember when, but over time she had fallen in love with Shin Hyuga and she would do anything he told her to and follow his every command, all in the hopes that her feelings might one day reach him.

She looked up at Shin, the tears clearly evident in her eyes. "If it let me be with you, I would follow you in to the gates of Hell." She said, burying her face in his chest.

Shin gazed at her silently with a solemn expression. In truth, he had also become fond of Jean, even though he would never allow himself to admit it. His most trusted subordinate was yet another person who displayed affection towards him, but he himself was unable to respond to that affection, for deep down, he held a small ounce of fear that she would leave him if he let her in, just like he feared for Manfredi, Alice and Maria, but he made sure that they would never betray him.

* * *

Morning came and with it the sun shone brightly, heralding the beginning of a new day. Julius had already rose from his sleep and prepared himself for the meeting. He decided that he needed to look his best for an occasion such as this, so he opted for his black and gold royal garments and cape, instead of his pilot uniform.

Soldiers and Knightmares bowed to their knees, as he passed by them, walking over to Shin and Jean, the former of which was also not dressed in his pilot uniform, but rather his white and red Knight uniform. They stood in front of the trio of Knightmares that stood out from among the rest that were going to accompany them, to ensure that the enemy got the fact of their total defeat across. The golden Vercingetorix stood next to the silver Gracchus, with its SDA Axe planted in the ground, while the black and gold Caligula was in front of Julius, surrounded by Sutherlands which bowed to the prince upon his arrival.

Julius gazed at Shin and Jean and smirked. "Let us go and deliver the enemy their harsh reality!" He declared, making a dramatic gesture with his left hand.

Jean stayed unfazed by the prince's theatrics, finding his boasting foolhardy, but Shin was greatly amused by them. It would be a shame that after today, Julius vi Britannia would be no more.

The three of them entered their Knightmares and activated them, the eyes of the machines briefly lighting up to indicate that.

Inside his cockpit, Julius removed his eye-patch and grabbed the controls of his Knightmare firmly. "Lead the way, lord Shaing." He ordered over the coms.

The Vercingetorix entered its four-legged mode and picked up its SDA axe. "Oh, your highness doesn't want to be at the helm?" Shin chuckled, deciding to tease the prince. He could allow himself to have some fun, since after today, everything would be in place and his plan would come to fruition.

"Hmph." Julius shrugged inside his cockpit, but smirked nonetheless, replying to the jab at his pride. "It is only proper of a knight to escort a prince to his destination." He replied, as he activated the landspinners of his Knightmare and made them rev. "Though with that said," He grinned, deciding to make this a challenge. "due try to keep up!"

Jean watched in awe at the blazing speed at which the Knightmare took off at the rough terrain. The Lancelot model was truly a force to be reckoned with, as her unit and the Sutherlands had no hope of matching it. She feared that if it came to a confrontation, even with their superior numbers, they would still fail to bring down the black Knightmare. As her nervousness grew about Shin's plan, surprisingly, she heard him laugh heartily over the channel.

"I will accept your challenge, Julius vi Britannia!" Shin replied, as the Vercingetorix began to gallop after the Caligula, slowly catching up to the black Knightmare, as the two continued to race through the forest towards their destination.

Jean quickly took herself out of her stun and followed after them along with the other Knightmares. "Wait, Lord Hyuga!" She tried to get them to stop, but the two Knightmares were already far away into the distance.

Continuing their small contest, Julius frowned when he saw that the Vercingetorix proved to be passing him with its four-legged mode that allowed it to traverse rough terrain with ease. On paper his machine should've been as fast or even more on clear terrain, but it would seem that the golden Knightmare had his model beat on off road.

"It would seem that this is my win!" Shin boasted over the coms with a victorious smirk, as his Knightmare put more and more distance between itself and the other unit.

"Tch." Julius clicked his tongue, but grinned, as he wasn't about to lose at a contest which he himself started. On the side of the road, there was a shallow river with large rock formations, which he intended to use as a ramp. Making his Knightmare speed up, it moved to the side and drove along the rocks, jumping high into the air. The Caligula then fired off its two wrist mounted Slash-Harkens which tied around two trees far ahead and began retracting them, gaining even further momentum mid-air. The black Knightmare landed with a heavy stomp, but the impact was nothing to its heavily armored chassis and reinforced skeleton, as its landspinners activated once more, ensuring that it lost as less speed as possible.

The jump had put the Caligula a good hundred meters in front of the Vercingetorix, which was steadily galloping towards it. Shin couldn't help but chuckle at the tactics the prince employed, as he raced forwards. It was a good thing that he wouldn't be in his Knightmare when the time to strike came.

The race soon came to an end, as both Knightmares arrived at their destination, the old Roman ruins near the castle. Much to the prince's annoyance, it was a tie, since Shin was able to close the distance between them at the end. Their escort arrived not long after and some of the soldiers, along with Jean exited out of their Knightmares and went over to the ruins. Shin and Julius followed suite and exited from their machines, as the knight and prince made their way towards what seemed to be a hall, if evident by the two stone seats and stone table in the middle of it.

"I will give you this, Shin Hyuga," Julius smirked, as he sat down on one of the stone seats and crossed his legs, glancing at the knight that stood a few meters to his side. "you have good taste in choosing venues." He said, gesturing to the ruins.

Shin smiled and bowed. "I'm pleased that it is to your highness' liking." He replied. _A fitting place for your grave._ He chuckled in his thoughts. _Now, I only have to wait for the enemy commander to give me the codes for Apollo's Chariot and dispose of them._ His plan was going off without a hitch. He would lure in Julius with a false sense of superiority, created by the negotiations, get what he required and eliminate his enemies in one fell swoop.

"Hmm?" Julius raised his eyebrow and smirked, when he saw Leila approaching from the distance, accompanied by a man, who he presumed was their spy, since he was carrying some kind of case with himself.

Leila, who was approaching with Claus, carried herself with pride and unwavering conviction. She knew that she entered right into the enemy's grasp, but she would not allow herself to cower before them. She had assured Anna that she would come back safely, even though she realized that the probability wasn't high in the slightest, unless her suspicions about Julius vi Britannia proved true and she was able to have a proper conversation with the Britannian prince.

As she and Claus reached the ruins, they were stopped by Jean and a few officers with rifles. If the worse were to come to pass, at least she knew that her friends wouldn't die without a fight, as the defenses of the Castle were raised to highest alert and the Squadron of Alexander drones could help defend the castle, though for how long, she was unaware of.

Placing his case on what was left of one of the pillars, Claus opened it and handed over a journal to Jean, who looked at it and then back to him.

"You're the Schwarzwald Mole?" Jean asked him with a stern expression.

"Yeah." Claus replied evenly, as Leila stood behind him, silently analyzing the female knight in front of them. "This is a draft of the commander's surrender document." Jean took the folder from him. "Our only condition is that you allow all base personnel to leave unharmed." Claus said, while Leila turned to look at Julius, who was smirking at her. She also saw Shin standing off to the side, his expression showing his evident amusement at the situation. It would seem that she was not up against one, but two deadly opponents.

"Where is the base's decryption cypher?" Jean asked him, as Julius rose from his seat and began walking towards Leila, who stared right at him.

"It's in there if you want to have it." Claus replied.

"I assume this also contains data on Apollo's Chariot?" Jean asked, as she went through the document to check if it was fabricated.

"Yeah." Claus replied, his voice even, though he became slightly unnerved when he saw Julius approaching them.

"Since you were our spy, I could arrange for asylum in Euro Britannia if you wish." Jean told him, as she finished with her check and closed the document.

"True…" Claus said, as he went over to his briefcase and closed it. "I might take you up on that." He then watched curiously, as Leila walked over to Julius, standing face to face with the taller prince.

Both of them stood across from each other, staring into the other's eyes, as Julius smiled and raised his hand for her to shake so they could seal the deal. However, he was surprised when Leila took it and shook firmly, though he was more intrigued by the happy smile on her face. The prince had seen his fair share of women back at the capital and many were like his eldest sister, Guinevere, who believed that since they were beautiful, they were powerful. How beautiful they were, however, was open for debate, since Julius found his older sister's attitude to be quite annoying, though he would admit that she had a very high social standing. With that said, there weren't many he recognized as truly beautiful, with his younger sister Euphemia being one among the few, but it would seem that this girl in front of him, Leila Breisgau, also possessed that strange and attractive allure he found most women to lack.

 _This woman,_ Julius thought, as he narrowed his eye curiously at her. _She really is the most interesting one I've met so far._ He chuckled to himself, finding Leila's courage and warm smile amusing, or maybe there was something else about her that he simply couldn't perceive.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! A lot of stuff happened in this chapter, with some of the characters getting a little more development. For those of you that wanted to see LeilaxJulius, I'm sure the ending didn't disappoint and on that note, you'll probably enjoy next chapter too, for I have a lot more planned for those two. Do take note, however, that Akito isn't going to stand by and let someone take his girl, so there is that to look forward to when the time comes XD. As for the scene with the Wyvern Squad, I decided to incorporate a part of the drama CD, since I found it hilarious and I wanted to add it to the story, though I'm not sure how well I translated the Japanese, since all I did was write what I (think) understood they were talking about, plus adding something more to it, like some of Ashley's backstory. For those of you that haven't already noticed, I LOVE the Vercingetorix's design and I would've loved it even more, had its name been kept as Sagramore. And on that note, we see a little more of Shin(like in the anime), though I think its better to say this now to avoid confusion, he wasn't speaking with real ghosts created by 'god', the man is simply mentally ill, which isn't helped by his Geass, which if you haven't noticed is slowly going out of control. Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed doing so! Have an awesome day!**

 **P.S. How many of you think that the E.U., even united under Smilas stands a chance against Britannia? ...*silence*... Yeah, I thought so XD.**


	11. Colliding Ideals

**Well this was a fast update. I don't know why, but it would seem that listening to Fate Apocrypha Ost and re-watching season 1 of CG to hype myself up for the evidently never to come out R3 was a great motivator. Still, I retain hope that it will eventually air and that it will get an eng dub. Don't get me wrong, I like the original Japanese VAs, but Johnny Yong Bosch's performance as Lelouch simply captivates my heart whenever I hear it. On that note, I'm still waiting for the dub of Akito the Exiled to come out, though I'm a little nervous towards Leila's french accent, which I can seriously go without(Shouldn't she have a british accent for crying out loud?! Confusingly enough, Akito's dub VA sounds almost identical to Lelouch's.). Enough about that, now, before we start, I want to clear up some things.**

 **First, I like how a lot, dare I say most, of you immediately jumped to the conclusion that I'm gunning for the LeilaxJulius pairing. While that is the case, it remains to be seen if things will work out between them, with Akito also having a part to play in that area. Besides, it's not like this will be the only pairing attempt I'm going to be making with Julius.**

 **As for who is going to be the emperor of Britannia by the end of this story, well, you'll have to wait and find out :D.**

 **Anyway, that's it from me for now. Let's move on with the 'negotiations'.**

* * *

Stage 11: Colliding Ideals

* * *

The cold wind blew over the Roman ruins, where the confrontation between Leila and the Britannians took place.

"Well, Miss Breisgau," Julius crossed his legs and leaned back on the stone seat, resting his arms on its sides. "it looks like you're in my palm once more." He smirked at the blond girl, who stared at him with a serious expression, while Claus behind her was trying to hide his nervousness.

"Do you find my terms acceptable, your highness?" Leila asked, trying to start off the negotiations peacefully.

"There is no need to rush, now that we've side tracked from the path of battle. We have time." Julius chuckled, but Leila's expression didn't change. "Still," He shrugged, gaining her curiosity. "I must admit that I was surprised when I learned that you were indeed of Britannian blood."

"That is correct." Leila nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "Both my father and mother were of nobility, until they defected."

"So I've heard." Julius replied with an amused smile. "I'll be clear and state that I do not bear any ill will against your or your deceased family for defecting from the empire." He said, enjoying the fact that his statement made Leila raise her eyebrows curiously. "In fact, I respect you for having the courage and willpower to do so and continue to oppose the empire. There aren't many who are capable of such feats."

"Respect me?" Leila asked, confused.

"Indeed." Julius nodded. "Are you aware of how disgusting and pathetic nobility is?" He asked her with an exaggerated gesture. "All of them possess resources and influence, yet they squander them for mundane and worthless reasons, instead of focusing all of that opportunity to achieve something grand." He explained then smirked. "I consider myself an ambitious man and I like seeing ambition in others. It's what makes a select few stand out from the rest."

"What you speak may be true," Leila replied, her serious expression not wavering. "but that doesn't mean that those who don't have or haven't found their ambition are worthless." She said, gaining a frown from the prince. So far the conversation was going well and her suspicions about the prince's character were proving accurate, so she now had a solid way through the conversation and knew with what she could and couldn't get away. It would seem that the prince enjoyed a civilized conversation with an air of regality, so all she had to do was keep up the pace and not straightly butt heads with him.

"I'd be careful of my words, if I were you." Julius warned her with a threatening tone. "Do not let my previous words influence the current reality. You, along with all your allies, are at MY mercy."

"Of course." Leila replied, unflinching, noticing a small glint of intrigue in the prince's eye when he heard her reply. She wasn't intimidated by him, nor would she allow herself to be. "I simply state my beliefs."

"Hmph," Julius scoffed. While he maintained his threatening presence, he was surprised to see that she didn't display any fear when conversing with him, completely different from the time at Warsaw. Either she was very brave or she was simply that good at hiding her fear. "Well, it's not like I expected someone as naïve as you to change just from a single experience. It seems that no matter how many times you come face to face with reality, you'll still believe in that foolish dream of yours."

"I do not find the happiness of all people to be a foolish dream." She replied firmly, seeing the prince look at her, as if he was analyzing her, looking for dents in her defense. She had done her own research on him and she decided to see if the conclusions she had come to were correct. "However, I do not expect someone plagued by grief and anger over what he lost to understand what I'm saying, or rather, they do not wish to understand."

 _Ho?_ Shin smirked to himself, amused by the girl's audacity and method of pushing the prince.

What Leila didn't realize was that she was beginning to push a little too hard, as Julius gave her the most menacing glare she had ever seen. "What?" He asked, wanting to see if she was truly foolish enough to repeat herself, knowing full well that she was speaking of his siblings. If there was a topic which was to be untouched in the dark haired prince's presence, then that was his siblings. His fists slowly clenched "No one is allowed to speak of my siblings in my presence." He warned her, though it was clearly more a growl than anything else. "Choose your next words very carefully."

Leila remained unfazed by his threat, though that wasn't to say that she didn't take it seriously. Quite the opposite, in fact. Now she knew for sure that one of the prince's triggers were indeed his deceased relatives. She understood him, figuring that if she were in his place she would do the same, but that still was no reason to excuse all of his violent actions and volatile nature. She still needed to probe deeper to clearly understand him, but Julius made it more than obvious that any further attempt would not end well.

Deciding to switch her approach and target, she turned to Shin. "If I may be so bold, Lord Shaing," Leila began, narrowing her eyes at Shin, making both Julius, whose anger seemed to slowly lower, and the knight confused. "this is the second time we've met."

Shin was confused by her statement for a brief few seconds, but then he remembered one of the Alexander Knightmares that had confronted him back in Slonim. "I see. You were in that Knightmare at Slonim, weren't you?" Shin replied, his own curiosity towards Leila growing.

"Lt. Hyuga…" Leila stopped, scolding herself mentally for not getting out of that habit of calling Akito by his rank. "Akito called you his bro-" Shin cut her off before she could finish.

"Akito is dead." Shin stated firmly.

Julius watched the conversation, finding it very amusing, though he was slightly annoyed that Shin had become the topic of interest. Still, he knew that if the man was to make a move, it would most likely be now, when he presumed that he was at his weakest. Oh, how wrong he was.

"I have no need for a sibling who would disobey his brother's orders." Shin added, making both Julius and Leila frown.

"How pitiable." Julius shrugged, making Shin turn to him, as the two men locked their angry gazes. "To dispose of your own blood relative, the only one who is closest to you more than anyone else, just because he didn't follow orders." Julius growled, remembering how his father had disposed of his brother and sister.

"Ho?" Shin chuckled, mocking the prince. "Is that where the infamous homicide prince draws the line? I thought that someone like you wouldn't be fazed by killing his own kin." Shin was being openly antagonistic towards Julius, knowing full well that the one eyed royal would most likely lash out or be on the verge of, due to his temperamental nature.

However, before their argument could heat up, Leila intervened. "Akito is alive." Leila stated firmly, drawing the curiosity of both men. She could see it. The situation in front of her wasn't an unwinnable disaster, like she had previously thought. She wasn't outnumbered two to one, no, it was a true three-way conflict. Now it was only a means of getting one of them or both to side with her, otherwise she would be sparking a battle which will have her and Claus in the crossfire, or, worse yet, her enemy would ally against her and then settle their differences.

"What do you know about it?" Shin sneered at her.

"Akito was very worried about you." Leila stated firmly. "He said he wanted to stop you."

Shin smirked. "What of it?"

"Akito will come back." Leila declared. "I believe in him."

"How revolting." Shin sneered at her, as he turned around to look at the empty ruins. There was nothing but the remnants of the destructive force of time and a few ravens, which seemed to find it appropriate to gaze at this meeting. "When I look at a simpleton like you, it makes me want to vomit!" He stated. "You believe in him?" He asked in a mocking tone with a grin, as he began walking back towards the table. "You still do not understand that you were betrayed?"

"You're referring to Gen. Smilas?" Leila asked, rising from her seat to confront the man head on. Claus was growing more nervous by the second, as he stood behind Leila, his hand slowly reaching for his hidden pistol.

Julius watched the conversation go on, deciding to let it play out and see if he would get some amusement out of it, as he leaned on his arm and stared patiently at the two.

"Let me edify you." Shin stated, as he came face to face with Leila, whom he towered over due to their height difference. "Belief in others is an illusion concocted by the clever to exploit the stupid." He told her, which made Leila frown. Shin turned to see the prince eye them with an amused expression, which made his blood boil. "If you want proof, then it's standing right in front of you."

Both Shin and Leila turned towards Julius, who laughed at the former's statement. Subsiding his laughter, the prince spoke. "Lord Shaing, you have no idea how many people I've used and thrown away." He chuckled, as he rose from his seat, interested to see where this whole tension riddled situation was going to crack. He turned to Leila with his signature smirk. "Do tell, Miss Breisgau, where does your love for humanity lie?" He asked her, knowing full well that she couldn't possibly win her side of the argument. "You who had lost what she cherished at a young age speak of love and happiness. Having come from such a background, do you honestly believe that humans are worth believing in?" He asked her, eager to hear her answer.

Leila stared between both men, unflinching, though she realized that she was in a tough spot. Both of her adversaries seemed to be on a similar opinion, though there were enough differences to spark a conflict. She'd have to hold her point firm, lest she lose to them. "If you believe in others, they're sure to reciprocate." Leila stated firmly, gaining a disgusted frown from Julius, but oddly enough, Shin erupted into a laughing fit.

"That is why you are betrayed and exploited!" Shin yelled at her, his laughter being replaced with sheer anger. What he hated most was blinded belief, belief in others, who he knew could only betray one another. That was why the woman in front of him riled him up so much. She foolishly believed in others, becoming their tool. This time, however, his statement was able to get a reaction from Leila, who recoiled back slightly, the small speck of fear not being left unnoticed by the Britannian prince, who eyed her like a vulture, waiting to see if she would show weakness.

"You need to learn that humanity isn't the least bit worth believing in." Shin told Leila, who recovered from her sudden shock and resumed her frown towards him. "With people, it's every man for himself." He said, gesturing with his hands. "If you have plenty, to hell with others." He continued, playing with the sheathed sword in his grip. "No, it goes beyond that. The more miserable others are, the more convinced they are that they themselves are happy." Shin chuckled. "What contemptable creatures they are." He smirked, as he turned to the prince. "Isn't that right, Julius vi Britannia?"

"Ho? And what exactly do you mean by that, Lord Shaing?" Julius glared at him, seeing that he needed to remind the man of his place.

"You may reject it, but deep down you are aware that all the monstrosities you commit are simply the flailings of a scared child." Shin chuckled, seeing the prince's face visually twist in anger. "You aren't as imposing as you think you've made yourself out." Shin smirked at him. "In fact, you're simply a little kid who takes out his own pain and suffering on others so you can feel better."

"Shaing…!" Julius growled out, his anger reaching its boiling, as his fists clenched and shook dangerously. He would not be mocked by this impudent fool. He, a prince of Britannia, the strongest among his siblings, wasn't going to allow anyone to make a fool out of him.

"What?" Shin chuckled. "Is it that hard to come to terms with yourself? That you are simply a scared child now that you are by yourself in the large and unforgiving world?" Shin laughed but was interrupted, by Leila.

Her own fists shaking and eyeing Shin with the most hatred she had ever held for a person, Leila truly saw what Akito had meant about his brother being beyond saving. "That is so sad." Her words confused Shin, who turned towards her, while Jean unconsciously took a step back from the prince, who was on the verge of releasing all holds he had on himself and kill everyone within the vicinity.

Ignoring the mad prince, Shin turned to Leila with a frown. "What is?"

"You are!" Leila declared loudly, as with that all of the tension in the vicinity reached its peak.

Shin brought his blade to her neck, Claus was about to reach for his revolver, but was stopped by Shin's soldiers who were aiming at everyone. Julius had already taken out the pistol hidden in one of the inside pockets of his garments and aimed straight at Shin's head, blinded by his anger, completely ignoring the soldiers that were aiming at him as well.

"Don't move!" Shin yelled out, as the whole situation froze in a stalemate. He leaned in towards Leila, staring straight at her. "You are hopeless, I see. Then believe what you will." He sneered at her, but then grinned madly. "All of you will be long dead before he comes." The geass in his left eye activated, as he gazed straight into Leila's eyes. "Die!" He commanded.

What happened next was enough even for Julius to calm his anger, as he stared dumbfounded for the first time since ages at the two Geass users and lowered his firearm. Not only was he surprised that both Leila and Shin possessed the power, but he was also shocked from what occurred after Shin's command and Leila's Geass activated.

Shin screamed out in pain, clutching his left eye, a picture the prince was very familiar with, as the knight then dropped to his knees, the pain being unbearable. What Julius noted, however, was that Leila's Geass was different from either Shin's or his, which shared their red color, while hers was a pure blue.

"What was that?!" Shin cried out, as he clutched his left eye.

"Lord Hyuga!" Jean quickly rushed to her lord, bypassing all of the others who stared at him confused. "Are you all right, Lord Hyuga?!" Jean asked him, as she knelt down next to him.

"Yes…" He managed to reply through pants, as the pain began to subside.

Julius still gazed in awe and turned to Leila, whose Geass had disappeared from her left eye. "What did you do?" He asked, curious and somewhat anxious from unknowing what her Geass did. For all he knew, it might as well be like his, tormenting its victims to their deaths. If that was the case, he was seriously in a bad position. However, it would seem that he wouldn't receive an answer, as Leila gazed at him for a moment, but didn't form a reply, which either meant that she was not about to reveal her trump card, or she was inexperienced with the power.

"Lord Shaing," Leila turned to Shin, who now eyed her resentfully. "What do you hope to attack using Apollo's Chariot?" She asked, wanting to hear the man's true goal, as Julius also turned to look at the downed knight.

Shin rose to his feet, shaking off the sudden shock from before and smirked. "Pendragon." He declared, enjoying the horrified look on Leila's face. "That's right. That is what I want." He chuckled sinisterly, knowing full well what his declaration meant. He would kill the emperor, destroying the established system and sending the whole world into chaos "I want this world to be riddled with corpses!"

Even though Leila and Claus were stunned from the revelation, everyone still turned to the chuckling form of the prince, who seemed to shake with laughter, gaining mass confusion. Soon enough, he erupted into full blown mad laughter, which even unsettled Shin.

"Pendragon…" He continued to laugh. "He says he is going to attack Pendragon… Ahahaha!" The prince's mad laughter didn't seem to end, when he finally forced himself to stop, though there remained an insane glint of amusement in his eyes and sick smile, as he turned to look at Shin. "You want to kill father?" Julius managed to say, stiffening his chuckle, holding his sides that began to hurt from laughing too hard.

"What makes an impudent mongrel like you believe he has the right for such a feat?" He asked, his laughter now completely subsided. While the people around him most likely interpreted his words as loyalty to the emperor, they knew nothing of true dedication and ambition towards a goal. "As much as I would love to see you try, there is only being worthy of killing the emperor and you're staring right at him!" Julius declared furiously, jabbing a thumb at himself.

Initially surprised by the prince's declaration, Shin now smirked at him. "I was right. You really are just a grief driven fool, that was unable to stomach the deaths of his family." Shin turned to his soldiers. "Kill them, they are of no further use." He declared, making Julius growl in anger and Claus and Leila worried that they might not make it after all.

Claus aimed at Shin, which caused more soldiers to aim at him and Leila. Seeing as there was no getting out of this deadlock, Leila wished that he at least saved himself. "Surrender by yourself!" She told him.

He turned to look at her with an apologetic smile. "Not even a guy like me can do something that shameful." Claus told her, as he stood firmly in front of her, aiming at Shin's head. "Stand back."

* * *

Unknown to the people down below, up in the sky, a sniper quickly assessed the situation, wondering who to pick as a target, confused by the Britannians' infighting. He noted that it looked like Shin had taken both Leila and Julius hostage and wondered what to make of the predicament. It would seem that for now, Shin was the primary target.

"Things seem dicey down there." Yukiya commented, as he took aim.

* * *

The tension was about to escalate, when three of the soldiers ran over to Claus and aim at him from very close range, while Shin smirked at the spy. However, the knight's smirk soon disappeared when he noticed Julius' grin when one of the soldiers got within hands reach.

In a blinding flash, Julius firmly grabbed hold of the soldier and turned him around to use as a human shield, as he then unloaded the clip of his pistol into the rest of the soldiers that were aiming at him, as he then jumped over the poor man that had stood in front of him, who got filled with lead from his allies' gunfire. The prince landed behind the stone seat and took cover reloading his pistol. It would seem that spending those years training under Nonette proved useful, after all.

* * *

Taking steady aim, Yukiya licked his lips and pulled the trigger, his sniper rifle firing off a combustion round.

* * *

Shocked by the prince's sudden retaliation, Leila and Claus rushed for cover from the gunfire, while the soldiers were confused for who to aim at, as they ran for their own cover when Julius began firing at them as well. Gunshots echoed, as the soldiers returned fire, but the stone seat which the prince used for cover held its ground. The firing stopped, as the soldiers had to reload, but instead of using this chance to kill them, Julius took off running away from the scene and jumped behind a large piece of debris, as he had seen the flash of light that was heading their way fast.

Shin was beginning to grow increasingly furious, as he was about to activate his Knightmare and finish them off, when Jean pulled him behind a large rock yelling. "Lord Hyuga, take cover!"

Just as she said so, the combustion round hit the area where the other soldiers had failed to properly evacuate, sending them to the afterlife in an explosion. All of the survivors braced themselves for the shockwave of the blast, as it hit.

* * *

Back at Castle Weisswolf, the tremor didn't go undetected by the base's sensors, as Sarah and Olivia quickly took notice and informed the rest of the team.

"Am I crazy or was that an explosion shockwave?" Sarah stated, as she gazed at the readings confused.

"Yeah, the data shows as such." Olivia nodded, but then everyone heard the surprised gasp of Chloe, turning their attention to her.

"I'm receiving some kind of transmission!" Chloe exclaimed, rising from her seat.

"The Alexander beacons are back online?!" Hilda quickly took notice of the info on her screen, surprised.

Their worries were soon laid to rest, as a very familiar voice was heard on the transmission.

"Guys! Do you read me?" Yukiya exclaimed cheerfully. "Wyvern squad here! If you read me, respond!"

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden revelation, but their surprise was quickly replaced by joy, as everyone erupted into cheers.

"Yukiya!" Sarah exclaimed, recognizing the voice, as everyone cheered that their friends were indeed alive.

"Hey, Sarah!" Yukiya replied over the connection. "Long time no hear! You're sounding well."

"But how?!" The dark skinned officer asked, completely confused, while Joe Wise cried tears of joy to hear that they were alive, receiving warm smiles from his colleagues, who tried to reassure him, that everything was alright. "Why didn't you radio us before now?!" Sarah demanded to know.

"Sorry!" Yukiya shrugged. "To deceive one's enemies, begin with one's allies and all that."

"That's mean!" Chloe exclaimed, but was still happy to hear the hacker's voice.

"We were worried sick!" Hilda added.

Sophie let out a relieved sigh and leaned back in her chair with a happy smile, content with the news. "What wonderful news, Leila."

* * *

After the blast had cleared, Leila looked on from hers and Claus' cover curiously. She saw that the blast had almost demolished everything, leaving only a crater in the ground. However, she knew that the fight wasn't over.

Julius and Shin rose from their cover eyeing each other with complete resentment. Shin was furious that he was unable to neutralize the prince with ease as originally planned, but he would still relish in killing him himself, as he activated the Vercingetorix. Julius activated the Caligula, completely intent on not leaving even a blood stain of Shin Hyuga. It was time he disposed of this fellow Geass user, a challenge, he would greatly relish in.

Both of the Knightmares arrived in front of their pilots, as they knelt down and the hatches of the cockpits opened, with both of them entering. Julius sent Leila a brief threatening glance, conveying the silent message that she was next when he was finished with Shin. The two Knightmares activated, their eyes lighting up, as they drew their weapons.

"You've been a thorn in my sight for far too long, Julius vi Britannia!" Shin yelled out furiously, as the Vercingetorix activated its SDA axe, which elongated and spun threateningly. The golden Knightmare entered its four-legged mode, its pilot intent on winning this duel.

Not having the leisure of time to remove his eye-patch to simply kill him with his Geass, Julius made his Knightmare take out its two MVS swords, which activated and began to glow blood red. Julius laughed maniacally, his anger having reached its boiling point, as his killing intent was at an all-time high. "Come then, mongrel! I will teach you just how far beneath me you are!" The prince laughed, as the Caligula spun the MVS swords threateningly and entered a fighting stance.

Leila and Claus watched speechless, as the two behemoths of steel were about to clash. The two Knightmares were at roughly the same height, with the Vercingetorix being slightly higher, due to its four-legged mode. Seeing the battle about to happen, Jean scrambled back to avoid being caught and activated her Gracchus, which came to her, so she could support her lord.

Before she had entered it, however, the two Knightmares charged at each other, clashing their weapons. The two MVSes clashed against the SDA axe, which held firm against the steel cutting blades, thanks its rotary mechanisms. They exited the clash and continued the assault on each other. Each slash, which came at an incredible speed, due to the machines' high specs, was expertly parried by the opponent, as the swirl of clashes continued.

Having another one of its blades parried, the Caligula reversed its grip on the parried swords and attempted to deliver a return strike, only for the Vercingetorix to raise itself on its hind legs and kick the black Knightmare back. Yet by doing so, Julius activated one of the waist mounted slash-harkens of his unit, hitting Shin's machine head on in the chest, sending the golden Knightmare stumbling back, its armor having resisted the hit.

Both pilots growled in their cockpits, as Shin's Geass unconsciously activated. However, Julius was forced to activate the Caligula's wrist mounted Blaze Luminous to block the incoming fire from Jean's Gracchus that entered the battle.

"Lord Hyuga, I'll provide you support fire!" Jean told Shin over the coms, as she reloaded her weapon, giving enough breathing room for the grandmaster.

"Excellent!" Shin grinned, as he used the breather to take out his own shotgun and begin firing at the prince's black Knightmare.

"Grr! Julius growled, as he was forced to activate the second Blaze Luminous, in order to block both Knightmares. The energy shields handled the shots effortlessly, but he couldn't allow himself to stay on the defensive until his energy filler was empty.

Activating its landspinners, the Caligula backed up further into the ruins, using them as cover from the enemy fire. Using the cover, the black machine took out its Sakuradite rifle and fired at the enemy units, which moved away from the shot as it exploded into a large purple blast. Julius would have to make his shots count, since the rifle's ammunition, while powerful and deadly, was very limited.

The two factsphere sensors on the chest of Julius' machine activated and soon retracted, as the Caligula span around and intercepted a slash from the SDA axe of the Vercingetorix with one of its MVS swords. The Caligula used its free arm, which was armed with the Sakuradite rifle, to fire to its other side, where Jean's Gracchus was attempting to flank him, forcing it to retreat, lest it be caught up in the blast. Exiting the clash with Shin, Julius attempted to sever the knight's Knightmare in half with a diagonal slash, but the Vercingetorix jumped backwards to dodge the attack.

Julius grinned inside his cockpit, enjoying the adrenaline rush, as he laughed out. "Now this is a fight worthy of a king!" He boasted, relishing in the thrill of the battle, a battle which he would win.

As the battle between the three Knightmares raged on, Leila and Claus were running away to escape the fight, the latter having picked up his briefcase, thankful that the document they had given to the enemy was destroyed in the blast. Leila looked back with worry at the outnumbered black Knightmare, which held its ground and even pushed its assailants back. However, Claus seemed to stop suddenly in front of her, making her look at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" Leila asked him, noticing that he was staring at the sky with narrowed eyes, trying to make out something in the distance. She raised her gaze in the same direction and immediately felt her heart raise, as she could make out the familiar silhouette of an Alexander, as it glided down towards them. She was ecstatic to see that her friends were truly alive and alright, as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Akito!" She called out his name loudly, with Claus still being completely taken aback by what he was seeing.

The white and red Alexander, which still suffered its wounds from the fight with the Ahuramazda, descended down towards the ground on its gliding wings, with, strangely enough, Ashley hanging tightly around its neck.

* * *

In the far distance near the castle, standing on a wooden bridge near the lake, Anna and Oscar were cheering for their friend as they spotted the descending Alexander with their binoculars.

* * *

As they descended further near the ground, Ashley took notice of the fight below and that it would seem that they were right on time. "I can see our drop point, Akito!" Ashley exclaimed.

Inside his cockpit, Akito grasped his controls firmly, intent on setting his score with Shin. "Brother…" He muttered with a dead serious expression.

* * *

Up in the air, on the float engine, the other trio of the Wyvern Squad was preparing for their own glide down, carrying packages for their head Knightmare developer, Anna.

Ayano and Ryo's Alexanders had containers attached to them, which contained all of the useful parts of the Ahuramazda, with the latter also having equipped its own gliding wings set.

"Hey, why are we trusting that Ashley guy?" Ayano grumbled, as she and Ryo prepared to jump.

"Jealousy is an ugly thing, Ayano." Yukiya chuckled, teasing his friend, while Ryo waited for them to finish.

Ayano completely flushed and retaliated to his comment. "Who's being jealous of who?!" She yelled back.

"You're an open book, Ayano." Yukiya noted, as he continued with his job of rigging the engine with explosives and setting the timer. Their ingenious plan was to set the engine with explosives and send it on a collision course towards the Britannian base. "If you don't control your emotions better, you'll never be able to play the game of love."

Ayano was becoming more and more irritated by her light brown haired friend by the second, as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her pilot seat with a sour smile. "Ho? I never imagined the day would come when I'd hear those words from you!" She continued to argue, but was ignored by Yukiya, who was focused on his task.

"Ayano, it's time." Ryo told her, as he decided that they had given Akito enough of a headstart. "Let's bail."

Ayano scoffed. "Yukiya, when we get back, we're gonna have a nice long talk!" She told him, angry that he was going to stay up there alone, becoming an easy target for the enemy.

"Yeah, yeah…" Yukiya chuckled.

Ryo's Alexander grabbed hold of Ayano's, as they prepared to jump. "Yukiya, we'll be waiting for you on the ground!" He told him.

"Roger that." Yukiya replied, finishing up with his coding. "I'll bail out as planned, so I'll see you later." He bid his friends goodbye, as they jumped off.

"Yukiya, don't keep us waiting!" Ayano warned him, worried for him, as they went out of range and descended towards the castle.

* * *

On the ground, the grueling fight at the Roman ruins was still waging on, with Jean having to fall back since part of a blast from the rifle of the Caligula had hit her, effectively taking out the silver Knightmare's right arm and ranged weaponry.

Using the break, Jean was able to spot the incoming Alexander and immediately became worried. "Lord Hyuga! Enemy reinforcement incoming!" She warned her lord.

"Guh!" Shin groaned inside his Knightmare, as it was pushed back once more by the Caligula. The Grandmaster was in a serious pinch now that Jean's supporting was cut off, as he found himself backed against the ropes from the black Knightmare's onslaught. The fight was truly the most difficult he had ever faced, with the prince proving himself to be more than a handful, as Shin was slowly losing the battle. Still, Jean's news made him grin, as he could feel his Geass pulsing. "So you've finally come, Akito." He chuckled, seeing as he would finally be able to end this fight.

Julius frowned when the image of the incoming Alexander came into his peripheral. "Tch! More and more keep coming!" He growled, as he noticed that his Knightmare was already down to two thirds of its energy reserve. Having to take on another unit would prove to be very taxing on the machine and he wondered if it could keep up with him. _Well, only one way to find out._ He narrowed his eye and engaged the Vercingetorix, only to grow confused when it jumped back and retreated towards the incoming Alexander. The Caligula quickly gave chase, not about to let the enemy slip away from his grasp.

Seeing the golden Knightmare change its course, followed by the black one, Ashley grew worried, as they were headed for them. "They're heading towards us, Akito!" Ashley yelled.

Akito registered his statement, but his eyes widened when the scanners of his Knightmare showed him Leila and Claus also being present. "Commander?" He was surprised to see Leila there, confused what they were doing in the middle of a battle between Knightmares. Akito quickly disengaged the wings of his Alexander, so they could land near Leila and Claus to protect them.

Once they landed, Ashley quickly jumped off from the Alexander, which raised itself to its feet and took its place in front of Leila and Claus to act as a shield, while the orange haired Knight voiced his frustrations at the incoming golden Knightmare.

"Lord Shaing!" Ashley yelled out at the Knightmare. "You and the prince have some nerve to blow up the Ark while I was still on it!" He stomped furiously. However, he quickly noticed the Gracchus to the side and dodged its incoming Slash-Harken. "Jean! Watch it!" He yelled at her, as he ran for cover from the Knightmare.

"Shut up, traitor!" Jean yelled at him through the speakers of her unit, as she charged towards him. "I'll kill you myself!" She declared, but was intercepted by the Alexander, which slashed off the Gracchus' other remaining arm and delivered a swift dropkick to its chest, breaking its two slash-harkens and sending it stumbling to the ground. "Guh!" Jean groaned from the impact.

"Get real!" Ashley yelled at her from behind the cover. "You're the traitor!"

Claus stared in complete shock, along with a curious Leila. "Who the hell is that?" He wondered out loud, this whole situation having escalated into chaos, as he saw the Vercingetorix and Caligula trade blows once more, with the golden Knightmare having trouble keeping the black one at bay, as they slowly brought their clash towards them.

Realizing that she was most likely the only voice of reason in the scenario, Leila placed her hand on Claus' shoulder to get his attention. "Lt. col., get to the boat!" She told him, wanting him to go to the transport in which they arrived and prepare it for leaving, as she ran off towards the Knightmares.

"Hey, wait a damn minute!" Claus exclaimed, wanting to stop her brashness, but found himself face to face with a grinning Ashley, who grabbed him by the shirt.

"Pops! Akito sent me!" Ashley told the middle-aged man with an energetic smile. "Let's get out of here!"

Claus could only stare at the orange haired youth with utter confusion. "Who are you?"

The Caligula and Vercingetorix continued their clash, as sparks from the collision of their weapons flew into the air. The prince's Knightmare slashed away, having the advantage with two swords compared to Shin's only one axe. Akito saw neither was intent on backing down, so he decided to intervene. The Alexander jumped into the fray, surprising the other two pilots, as it delivered a dropkick to the Vercingetorix and kicked away the Caligula.

"Enough!" Akito yelled out through the speakers, as he now stood in a three-way circle between the other two Knightmares.

"Get lost, Hyuga!" Julius growled through the speakers, angry that the Eleven pilot was interfering with him once more. "After I'm done with your brother, you'll be the next to be impaled on my sword!"

"I do not know what is going on here, but I will not allow neither of you to hurt my friends!" Akito declared, as the Alexander brandished its Stake tonfas.

Shin chuckled over his own speakers. "Akito, you haven't changed one bit since then. You're still a child." He said, gaining the other two pilots' attention. "You have no idea how the world works."

"You're wrong, brother." Akito replied firmly, intent on opposing Shin. "Fighting can't change anything."

"I can't allow the people of the world to go on following the same foolish rulers, like the Britannian prince over there." Shin chuckled, while his younger brother became nervous, but neither he nor Akito realized that this breather was a golden opportunity for Julius, who removed his eye-patch. "Akito, if you are my brother, you ought to understand what I am trying to do." Shin said, as the Vercingetorix extended its empty hand towards the Alexander. "Kill, Julius vi Britannia!" Shin ordered.

"Brother…" Akito replied, but then froze, as he felt Shin's Geass taking hold off him once more, as the Alexander then charged straight for the Caligula, surprising Julius, who, from the shock, was unable to activate his own Geass. Akito began to chuckle madly, now completely under the influence of the command. "Die!" He laughed out, as the smaller Alexander maimed at the bigger and bulkier Caligula.

"This again!" Julius growled, as he struggled to hold off the berserk Alexander. The two Knightmares clashed, with Shin laughing from the side, enjoying the battle. The prince activated his Geass, getting the Alexander within range, but this time the influence of Shin's Geass over Akito's conscience was too strong and the prince's own power failed to grasp his opponent's mind, which was locked inside a steel cage of violence. "Damn it!" He yelled out, as he kicked the Alexander back, only for it to recoil insanely fast and come back at him again.

"Die!" Akito laughed, as the Alexander clashed with the Caligula once more. The black Knightmare, however, used its superior strength to overpower the smaller unit, breaking the clash and making the Alexander stumble back. The prince then made the Caligula grab the neck of Akito's machine, as it proceeded to spin around and throw the smaller unit, which recoiled in mid-air landing swiftly and charging back again.

"Yes, that's it!" Shin laughed victoriously, as the Vercingetorix activated its SDA axe to join the fray. "Let us dispose of this hindrance together, like brothers." Shin grinned mockingly, as he brought the axe down on the black Knightmare, only for it to block with its second sword, while the other was busy holding back the Alexander, which was trying to push its tonfas through.

"Akito, no!" Leila yelled out, as she ran towards the fighting Knightmares. "Stop it!" Her words, however, weren't reaching from the distance.

Trapped between the crosshairs of the two enemy units, Julius growled, as he activated the landspinners of his Knightmare, making it do a three sixty with its swords, hurling the other two back from the sudden momentum. The Caligula brandished its swords once more to intercept the already charging Alexander, while the Vercingetorix got to its feet.

"Die!" Akito yelled maniacally, as he attempted to slash the Caligula with his tonfas in a spinning motion, only for the black Knightmare to slash back with both swords in a cross shaped pattern, severing the white Knightmare's weapons in half.

The Alexander recoiled back, to regain its footing, while the Vercingetorix charged from the back and kicked the Caligula away fiercely, the black Knightmare rolling over from the hit, though managing to right itself, as its pilot groaned from the hit inside.

Shin laughed triumphantly. "Haha! Akito, finish him off!" He declared, as the Alexander charged at the Caligula, which raised its swords once more.

However, both Julius and Shin became speechless, when Leila ran in front of the prince's Knightmare and spread her arms out, as if she was a barrier. What surprised them, though, was the fact that the Alexander stopped dead in its tracks.

 _What happened?_ Julius wondered, as he gazed at the predicament curiously, making his Knightmare straighten up and be ready to counter a surprise attack from both of his opponents.

Akito stared completely frozen at Leila, his expression twisting, as he fought for control over his actions. "Commander?" He managed to speak out.

"Don't do it, Akito!" Leila told him, not wanting to see him forced down the same path of his brother. "You're not like him!"

Julius was confused from Leila protecting him, but Shin, however, was furious that this woman would ruin everything. "Akito, kill that woman!" Shin ordered him. "No one can give you orders but me! Kill her!"

Akito froze stiff, as he struggled against his brother's command with every part of his being. His Geass had taken a strong influence earlier, because he was fighting Julius, whom he considered a threat, but now when faced with the woman he loved, Akito was not about to let himself do something he would forever regret. "N-no…! N-no…!" He continued to struggle, as the Alexander slowly knelt down towards Leila, its metallic claws coming dangerously close to her, but she remained unfazed.

Figuring that he owed Leila for stopping the Alexander's charge, Julius decided to make them even by saving her from a foolish death. From what he gathered from the situation, he understood that Shin most likely had his brother under his Geass. He raised one of his MVSes, about to impale the Alexander's cockpit, but stopped himself, when he noticed the white Knightmare to freeze in place. "Impossible!" He gasped out, completely taken aback.

Inside his cockpit, Akito was no longer struggling for his free will, as his hands were steady and he let out a relieved sigh, while Leila continued to gaze at his Alexander patiently, surrounded by the metallic claws. He smiled at her, truly feeling that there was no other girl like her. "Commander." He said over the speakers.

"Akito!" Leila smiled happily, relieved to hear his calm voice.

Julius stared at them, utterly speechless. Akito Hyuga had done what he had considered impossible, breaking the hold of Geass, not once, but twice! However, in his surprised state, he failed to realize that he had lowered his guard, as his instincts kicked in at the last minute, turning around and activating the Blaze Luminous to block the grenade shot hurled at him by a Sutherland, the pilot of which was Jean, who had ditched her unit for an operational machine.

While Julius was distracted, Akito noted the incoming stampede of his brother's Knightmare. Not having adequate time to block the attack properly, the Alexander took hold of Leila as carefully as the time frame allowed it and jumped to the side, dodging the slash which he presumed was aimed at them, only for Akito's eyes to widen in realization, much like Julius, as the SDA axe came down on the Caligula, with the black Knightmare failing to block the attack in time, losing its right arm.

Julius watched in utter anger, as he brought his Knightmare's remaining arm in front of itself with the Blaze Luminous active to protect itself from the next attack. The Vercingetorix used its full weight to deliver a powerful kick to the Caligula, which hurled the black Knightmare a few meters back, with the cockpit colliding hard against the ground, with Julius taking the full brunt force of the impact, as he could feel the pain coursing through his whole body.

"Guh!" Julius groaned out, as he felt some blood drip down his forehead from the earlier hit. He panted trying to get his body to ignore the pain, as his Knightmare slowly rose back to its feet. He could also feel liquid, most likely blood, coming out from the right side of his torso and soaking his clothes, dying them red. "Damn it!" He cursed for allowing himself to get this beaten up, as he clutched the wound on his body with one hand, fearing that at this rate he would pass out from blood loss.

His vision slowly began to get hazy. He needed to get out of the Knightmare and get some fresh air and remain conscious enough to use his Geass, otherwise, he was toast.

"Hahaha!" Shin laughed madly inside his Knightmare, as it slowly approached the damaged Caligula. "It's over, Julius vi Britannia!" He declared, as he raised his axe about to bring it down on the cockpit of the Knightmare.

"Stop it!" Akito yelled out, as his Alexander tackled the Vercingetorix to the side, placing itself in front of the motionless Caligula. "Enough, brother!"

"Akito!" Shin roared, furious at his brother's continuous defiance. However, he dodged back, when a few combustion rounds fell from the sky, aimed at him, exploding where he previously was. Yukiya wasn't going to let him have his win that easily.

"Lord Hyuga!" Jean called out to Shin in concern. "We must retreat! They have air-superiority!"

Shin frowned, as he gazed at Akito. "This isn't over, Akito!" He roared, as he then turned his attention to Leila, who ran over to the Alexander. "I do not accept your surrender! I will kill all of you and take what I want by force!" He declared, as the Vercingetorix reared back on its hind legs threateningly and took off to retreat, followed by Jean in her Sutherland. "I've already accomplished half of what I came here to do!" He grinned madly, as he sent the motionless black Knightmare a glance, figuring that the prince was most likely downed by that last hit.

The four-legged Knightmare and its escorting Sutherland were soon gone in the distance, which made Leila and Akito respectively let out a relieved sigh. Their attention, however, quickly turned to the opening hatch of the knelt down Caligula, from which exited Julius, clutching the wound on his torso with one hand and barely being able to keep the eye-patch on his left eye, as he panted heavily, blood dripping from him. He didn't even register that they were there, as he sat down and leaned on the leg of his Knightmare, using the relief of having to force his legs to work to properly put on his eye-patch and curse mentally that if Leila hadn't interfered at the last moment, he would have been able to kill both of his opponents. Still, it was too late to contemplate on that, as he was his companions' attention turn to him.

He chuckled to himself, as he clutched his wound, wondering for how long it would take for his vision to become perfectly clear again and seeing Akito come out of his cockpit and approaching him along with Leila. "Well, it would seem that I'm not in the best of predicaments, am I?" He chuckled, as he eyed them curiously, feeling the nausea caused by the wound slowly lessen. "So, what are you waiting for?" He asked them. "Aren't you going to finish me off?"

The two blue-eyed individuals in front of him looked at each other, having a silent conversation with their gazes, which the prince was unable to understand. Akito wasn't too sure about what Leila had planned in mind, but if it was her decision, he would stand by her and give her his support.

"No, we aren't going to kill you, Julius vi Britannia." Leila replied, gaining a surprised frown from the prince.

"You do realize that another opportunity like this won't present itself to you." He told her, narrowing his eye at her, wondering if she was really that foolish to pass up on an opportunity to sever the head of the enemy.

"Nothing will be accomplished by killing you." Akito said with a serious expression, not going to let the prince pull any tricks and endanger Leila. "Or are you that miserable that you would beg someone to end your life?" He taunted the prince, surprising Leila and himself, as Julius quickly rose to his feet.

"Watch your tongue, mongrel!" Julius hissed out venomously, as one hand continued to clutch his wound. "Even like this, I'm more than capable of ending you!" He growled, as he and Akito narrowed their eyes at each other, waging a silent war.

Seeing the brewing conflict, Leila knew that she had to intervene. "Stop this, both of you!" She said, getting in between the two. Akito let out a sigh, as he kept his worried gaze on Leila, while Julius looked at her in growing annoyance. Leila turned to face Julius completely, surprising him with her frowning expression. "You are wounded and you still want to fight!" She stated in a scolding tone, surprising both of her companions. The prince in front of her might have been a horrible being that had committed many sins, but he was still human and was owed such treatment. "We have to get those wounds treated as soon as possible!"

Julius frowned at her, completely speechless by her statement. She wanted to help him, her enemy. He was starting to consider that she truly was an idiot, but based on what he had seen earlier, that was up for debate. "You seriously want to provide aid to an enemy? You're too naïve." He told her, narrowing his eyes at her briefly, to which she responded by staring back, while the prince proceeded to take off his cloak and using it to wrap up the wound as tightly as he could. "Besides, it is going to take a lot more than a few flesh wounds to stop me." He shrugged, as he finished tying the cloth over his wound to stop the bleeding.

"I do not find offering help to a person in need to be naïve." Leila replied to his claim, as he brushed some blood off his forehead and stared back at her. "And you don't have a choice in the matter." She said, surprising the prince. "You are coming with us back to the castle."

"So, you're going to take me hostage." Julius noted, figuring that such a course of action was indeed beneficial for them.

"No, as a victor." Leila smiled at him, losing the two for a second from her train of thought, as they couldn't understand what she meant and blinked in confusion. "We did surrender, so there is no longer a need for us to fight among ourselves." She explained, keeping her smile in hopes that she would get the prince to cooperate. If she let him believe that he was the one in control, then maybe there was a chance to interact properly with him. "After all, we still owe you for letting us go at Warsaw."

Julius' eye widened at her statement, as he was left speechless by her actions once more. Seeing that he would most likely not be able to get her to leave him alone, coupled with the fact that if he tried to return back to the base, where he would have Shin executed by the rest of the soldiers, he'd most likely be intercepted by the enemy on the way. He began to chuckle, finding this whole scenario exceedingly amusing, as he erupted into hearty laughter, which made Leila to look at him curiously.

"Did I say something funny?" She asked, not getting the joke, as Akito stayed behind her and silently observed.

Calming down his laughter, Julius smirked at the blond commander. "Leila Breisgau, you are one of the strangest people I've ever met." He told her, as she blinked for a few seconds. "You continue to surprise me yet to this very moment." He said and began laughing again, ignoring the pain in his side. "Fine, I shall allow you to be accompanied by a Britannian prince!" He declared, as he smirked at Leila, who, along with Akito, stared at him with wide eyes. The prince was no fool, he knew that to win sometimes there were alliances to be made, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to cut ties with all of them when he had no further use. Still, he would use this opportunity to get as much information about Geass as possible through Leila, for it turned out that there was much that he did not know. "Be honored, that you will be graced with my allegiance!" He said with a hearty chuckle and proud smirk.

In truth, the two European soldiers weren't prepared for such… flamboyance, they opted to put it. But, seeing as the prince was now at least willing to cooperate, they were content, as Akito crossed his arms and smiled lightly, while Leila clapped her hands in satisfaction.

"Perfect." Leila smiled at Julius, who wasn't sure what to make of her trusting nature. "Judging by your previous statement, you are capable of piloting that Knightmare, right?" She asked him, eyeing his wounds briefly and then turned to look towards the Caligula.

"Hmph." Julius shrugged, seeing that she had him there. "Indeed, I will be able to drive alongside you."

"Right then," Leila turned around to see Akito smirking at the prince.

"Don't get too over yourself," Akito told Julius with crossed arms and a smug smile, though his voice wasn't sarcastic or antagonizing. It was a simple genuine warning. "Those wounds do look like they hurt a lot."

"Mere pain isn't going to topple me." Julius replied with a smirk of his own, as the two locked eyes once more.

Leila looked at them in confusion, thinking that they would start to argue again, but to her relief nothing of the sort happened. Gazing at the two, she couldn't help but think that maybe there was actually a very high chance for them to form a friendship of sorts, though it remained to be seen if such a relationship could be established with the prince. Her thoughts were quickly put to rest by Julius, who lost his smile in favor of a frown.

"Don't get any strange ideas that either of you are equal to me." He said sternly, but not sounding threatening. "I may have agreed to side with you for the moment, but that is all. Our interactions are simply of business relation." Julius said and went to enter his Knightmare, leaving Leila and Akito.

"Hmph," Leila gazed at Akito, who shrugged with a small smile on his face. Maybe he really would give the prince a chance. She watched him look up at the sky, after which he turned to her. "Let's go, commander." The blue haired pilot smiled at her, as he went over to his Alexander, failing to see the joyful gaze sent his way by Leila.

The Alexander and the Caligula activated, as the former carefully picked up Leila, much to her surprise, while the latter picked up its severed arm and sheathed its MVSes. The white and black Knightmares drove off towards the large speedboat in which Leila and Claus had arrived.

Claus and Ashley were already on it and had prepared the boat for takeoff. However, both men were surprised, when they saw the Caligula accompanying the Alexander, becoming nervous.

Julius gazed at the boat from his cockpit and raised his eyebrow, doubt filling him. It seemed large enough, but could it support the weight of the two Knightmares remained for him to inquire. "Are you sure that that boat can carry the weight of two Knightmares?" He asked over the coms, having established a line with Akito's Alexander.

"I am not aware." Akito replied blankly, shrugging, as he then used the speakers of his Knightmare. "Commander, is it going to hold the weight of two Knightmares?" He asked Leila, who was currently in the Alexander's arms.

"Yes, without a doubt." Leila nodded firmly. "That boat has been made with the intention of transporting a small unit of Alexander drones at a quick pace, so I'm positive that it is going to hold out."

"Heh." Julius chuckled, finding her optimism foolish and hilarious at the same time. "We'll find out very soon, won't we?" He said, as the two Knightmares stopped in front of the boat, with the Alexander letting Leila down.

They were greeted by Ashley, who ran over to them. "Hey, what's going on?" He asked Akito, having turned to the Alexander. "I thought that you were only going to rescue your commander?"

"There were a few… developments." Akito noted with an amused smile, as he also saw Claus approaching them.

"Commander, are you out of your mind?!" He yelled out. "Why is the Britannian prince with you?!"

His statement quickly resonated with Ashley, who turned to the black Knightmare nervously. "Prince Julius…?" He asked, hoping that he was wrong, as he gazed at the black and gold Knightmare, though it would seem that luck wouldn't be on his side.

"Indeed, sir Ashra." Julius replied over the speakers, as he eyed the orange haired knight. "It would seem that you are alive and are siding with them." He stated plainly, with his voice lacking in any hint of emotion.

"Aah! That's right!" Ashley exclaimed, remembering the Ark's explosion, after which he frowned at the black Knightmare, taking it for the prince. "You rigged me up to die on the Ark!" He yelled, angry and wanting a proper explanation.

Inside his cockpit, Julius sighed, massaging the sides of his temple, trying to keep himself composed. "Shin Hyuga was the one to set those explosives without my consent, so if you want someone to blame now you have one." He said, but then lowered his voice to a threatening tone, not going to allow a britannian to hold such a tone to him. "Also, are you perhaps forgetting who it is you are talking to?" He said.

Ashley froze in place from the threat and bowed. "No, your highness! I apologize for my rudeness." He said, as Claus watched the exchange utterly flabbergasted, the day having been too wild for him to keep track of everything that had happened.

Leila smiled at her second in command. "Some things happened, but I'll be sure to explain properly to everyone when we get back." She said.

Claus let out a defeated sigh and let his shoulders hung low. "Damn right you should." He chuckled with a smile. For all it was worth, he was glad that she was alright.

* * *

Standing on a small wooden bridge into the lake, Oscar and Anna watched patiently for the returning boat with Leila and Claus. It soon came into view much to their relief and surprise, since it also carried an Alexander and a black Britannian Knightmare. However, they were ignoring their confusion, as they cheered for the safe return of their friends.

"Yes, they're alive!" Oscar exclaimed energetically, a great weight lifting off his chest as he saw familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Anna waved towards the boat with tears in her green eyes and a joyful smile. "Leila! Leila!" She called out happily, as she saw her friend wave back from the boat, as it slowly neared the shore.

* * *

Up in the sky, however, Yukiya was having other plans than what he had originally discussed with his friends. He hadn't rigged the sakuradite reactor with bombs as in their initial plan, but had instead used the sakuradite reactor to enhance the bombs, since he knew that there was a chance that the enemy would shoot the reactor down before it could even reach them and he wasn't going to be taking any chances. He would use these to make sure that the enemy's superior strength didn't come to harm the people he cared about.

"I hate to do this, but it's war…" Yukiya said nonchalantly, as he finished setting the timer of the last bomb. His gaze sharpened, as he pressed the button and made his Knightmare let the bomb drop right over one of the enemy's bases.

It fell from the sky, gaining velocity, as its timer reached zero and a large purple explosion engulfed almost the whole area, completely wiping out anything in its path.

"Sorry, but I have teammates to protect." Yukiya said.

* * *

Down on the ground, a huge smoldering crater was now in place of where the main base had once been. The Britannian forces were in disarray, as the survivors scoured the remnants for anyone they could save.

"Company 2's been wiped out!" Reports came in. "All squads report in for accounting!"

One of the Swordmasters of the order of St. Michael was currently desperately trying to calm down his allies, when he received a transmission from Shin. "Lord Shaing…" Brondello muttered, as the Grandmaster's voice came through the transmission.

"The enemy is above the clouds. I'm sending you the coordinates. Shoot it down with a Canterburry." Shin ordered.

The Britannians quickly prepared one of their artillery cannons, as the heavy armored machine moved in place and targeted its large canon towards the air, the coordinates of the enemy having been input in it. Its canon charged its blast and fired, sending a clear shot of condensed volatile Sakuradite.

* * *

An emergency alert signal appeared on Yukiya's screen, which confused him. Everything that happened next was too fast for the Japanese pilot to register, as the artillery strike hit and made the whole Flight engine explode.

* * *

From their landing point, Ayano and Ryo looked towards the sky in horror.

"Yukiya!" Ryo exclaimed, worried for his friend's fate, as both he and Ayano watched the chunks of the engine falling down towards the lake.

"Yukiya!" Both of them yelled out in horror.

* * *

Inside his Vercingetorix Shin chuckled sinisterly. Everything was slowly coming into place. Soon, nothing would be left to stand in his way. "Akito," He continued to chuckle. "I'm going to kill everyone that you love." His face twisted into a mad grin, with his Geass activating. "Right in front of you."

* * *

"Yukiya!" Ryo yelled out his friend's name, as Ayano's Alexander was gripping his firmly, preventing him from going into the lake to save Yukiya himself, which he was incapable of.

"You can't go there, Ryo!" Ayano yelled, also worried sick. "We'll be defunct in water!"

"Let me go!" Ryo struggled desperately. "I must rescue him!" He said, but then noticed the large boat carrying the two Knightmares pass by them. "Is that Akito and Leila?" He asked, confused, but quickly made to call them on the coms.

On the boat, Leila received their call and answered. "Can you hear me, Ryo and Ayano?" She asked, as she then listened to what they had to say. "What?! You say Yukiya is trapped in there?!" She exclaimed, surprised, but quickly steeled herself, not going to allow her lack of control to cost them Yukiya's life.

Akito frowned, worried, seeing the indications on his screen. "I caught his beacon just now." He said.

"Please rescue him, Akito!" Ayano begged.

"Of course I will!" Akito replied seriously, intent on not failing.

Julius watched everything from inside his cockpit, finding it very interesting, as he finished wiping all the blood from his face, the cut on his forehead having stopped bleeding profusely and he no longer felt serious pain from the side of his torso. First there had been that large explosion in the distance, then the reactor fell from the sky and into the lake and now, judging by the others' conversation, they were going to have to rescue one of their comrades from certain death.

He leaned on his right arm and watched with interest how things would play out. _This sure is proving to be quite the day._ He mused to himself.

"Leila, what's going on?" The commander received a call from Anna on the coms. She gazed at the water in worry, as she listened to her friend. "That thing that just fell, isn't it a Sakuradite Reactor?" Anna asked, growing concerned.

"Yukiya is trapped in it!" Leila replied, informing Anna of their predicament.

Anna let out a horrified gasp, as her face paled. "Oh my goodness!"

"We must rescue him! Any good idea, Anna?" Leila asked her friend over the coms, as they changed their course, so they could properly search the area where the reactor fell.

Oscar gazed at the purple haired Knightmare developer, who thought on the matter for a few seconds, coming up with a plan. "Leila, there are cushion bags in his machine." Anna told the commander on the boat. "If we can access his Alexander and trigger these airbags, then we should be able to float his cockpit up!"

"How can we access it?" Leila asked.

"The BRS can link Akito to Yukiya's systems!" Anna replied, explaining the method to her friend.

Leila turned to the Alexander. "Akito, did you hear?"

The blue haired pilot was already on it, as he activated the BRS link and searched for the airbag systems. "On it." He nodded, as the link activated and he turned on the airbags.

Deep within the lake, Yukiya lay half-conscious in his cockpit, bleeding profusely from various wounds, as his Knightmare slowly sunk to the bottom along with the chunks of the reactor. With Akito having activated the airbags, the cockpit of the blue and neon green Alexander ejected and inflated, steadily rising up to the surface.

Searching for it from on board the deck, Leila saw the cockpit float up to the surface on their 3 o'clock. "It's surfaced!" She declared, as she entered the captain cabin of the boat, where Claus was driving the transport, with Ashley also being present in the room. "Lt. col. Warwick, draw the ship towards it!" She told him.

"Roger!" Claus replied, changing their course towards the cockpit, as Leila exited out of the room.

Ashely gazed curiously. "Is that woman your commander?" He asked.

Claus couldn't help but sigh at his choice of words. "Show some respect." He told Ashley. "Her name is Leila Breisgau."

Ashley smirked, turning back to look where Leila had entered. "Yeah, I've heard about her." He chuckled, remembering how many times Akito and the rest brought her up on occasions. They spoke of her very fondly, especially Akito, and so far, the commander wasn't disproving the high opinions of the pilots he had heard.

Julius watched curiously, as the boat stopped next to the floating cockpit. He saw Akito exiting out of his cockpit and going over to the one in the water, activating its safety ejection lock, removing the lid, revealing the wounded Yukiya. He shrugged, losing interest, as it wasn't his business if one of their own got wounded.

Akito picked up Yukiya, placing him on his back, as he felt him barely chuckle out. "Yo, Akito." The brown haired boy smiled lightly.

"Just rest, I'll bring you to safety." Akito told him, not wanting him to waste his energy.

"You're being too kind to me…" Yukiya let out a small pained laugh. "Aren't you an impostor?"

"Yes," Akito smiled contently, as he carried Yukyia back to the boat. "proper irony."

With Yukiya recovered on board and seeing his condition, Leila called Anna. "We got Yukiya on board, but he's severely injured." Leila told her friend. "Tell Dr. Randle to prepare for treatment!"

Anna completely paled from the news. "Oh my poor Yukiya…" She was able to mutter out, as she fainted on the spot, Oscar having to catch her lest she fall. In all the time she had spent around the young software genius, she had begun to grow especially fond of him, enjoying his quirkiness and cunning wits, and she eventually grew feelings for him, which of course, weren't a secret to her staff. Chloe and Hilda often teased her about it.

"Captain Clement, are you alright?!" Oscar asked, worried if Anna was alright.

* * *

Claus docked the boat back in the castle's underground hangar, as the doors closed behind him and the lights in the room activated. The two Knightmares stepped off from the boat, along with the rest of its passengers, as Ashley and Claus carried the wounded Yukiya.

Anna and Oscar arrived in the room along with Ayano and Ryo, all of them worried for the condition of their friend.

"Did you inform Dr. Randle?" Leila asked them, as she sent a worried glance towards Yukiya's bleeding form.

"Yes, she and her staff are prepared and waiting." Oscar nodded.

Ryo and Ayano ran over to Ashley and Claus to check up on the wounded Yukiya, while Anna was growing light-headed from all the blood she could see and was about to pass out once more.

Exiting out of his Knightmare, Akito jumped down in order to help with getting Yukiya to the infirmary as soon as possible. The whole Wyvern squad was silent, as all of them were concerned with Yukiya's survival.

Then, completely drawing all attention to himself, Julius exited out of his Knightmare with a smirk, not caring in the slightest if the wounded pilot would survive or not, looking around the base. "Ho? So this is where the magic happens." He chuckled, eyeing the place. "Not half-bad."

The people present who were yet to learn of the prince's alliance grew wide eyed and shocked upon realizing exactly who was among them. Their enemy was beside them and they were utterly confused as to what he was doing here.

Ryo, however, frowned and ground his teeth, as the prince, who paid him no mind, walked over to Leila and sent the rest an emotionless analyzing glance. "I take it these are your subordinates, miss Breisgau." He noted, not impressed in the slightest by what he was seeing.

"They are my friends." Leila corrected, slightly annoyed by his choice of words.

"Of course." Julius chuckled to himself with a shrug. He saw Anna and Ayano eye him incredulously and with a hint of fear and uneasiness, as the former's legs shook, threatening to give from under the pressure. Oscar unconsciously took a step back, as never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine being in the homicide prince of Britannia's presence. With that said, Julius failed to shift his gaze quickly to notice something very important, as there was a sudden pain in his jaw and everything went dark.

What happened next made everyone's jaws drop, even the stoic Akito, as they watched Ryo furiously run up to the prince and delivered the hardest uppercut he had ever thrown to the careless prince's face, knocking him out cold on the ground.

"That's what you had coming, damn bastard!" Ryo huffed contently, having thoroughly enjoyed sucker-punching the prince out cold. He had been serious about his declaration that he would punch his face in for everything that happened back at Warsaw and it was a huge relief to finally get payback.

"Oi! Do you know what you have done?!" Ashley visibly panicked, becoming terrified of what would happen once the prince woke up.

"Heh. I know that it felt satisfying." Ryo smirked, as Akito quickly regained his composure before anyone could notice. "He deserved it."

"We have to get Yukiya to the infirmary at once!" Leila told everyone, shaking them out. "Take the prince, too, he is also wounded. I'll figure out a way to deal with him when he wakes up." She said, giving Ryo a slightly disappointed glare and in return she received a proud smile from the Japanese, making her sigh.

* * *

Back at the main camp, Shin and Jean had returned, with many questioning where was the prince, whispers growing throughout the survivors of Yukiya's bombing. The Japanese was able to wipe out almost two thirds of the whole force of the Knights of St. Michael, which Shin wasn't interested in the slightest. All he wanted was results and he would get them one way or another.

"Proud Knights," Shin began, intent on seeing his plan through. "as you have seen, the enemy is more than worthy of complete annihilation." He said, gesturing in the direction of the crater. "I'm also sad to report to you that the twelfth prince, Julius vi Britannia, is no longer among us." He declared, gaining surprised and unbelieving gasps. "Yes, indeed." He nodded, though he was smirking internally. "The enemy has done what many considered impossible and brought the homicide prince down to his demise." He watched as genuine looks of fear spread through the soldiers, but he would have none of it, as he still required these pawns to be in working condition. "With that said, I'll be taking over as supreme commander." Shin stated with a smirk. "Regroup your forces, strengthen your anger over your lost comrades and we will destroy the enemy! The time to prove your chivalry will soon be upon you!" He declared.

"Yes, my lord!" All of the Knights saluted, though nervously, as they were still skeptical about everything which the grandmaster said, especially the three swordmasters, who suspected Shin to have actually assassinated the prince.

Shin chuckled to himself. _Everything is coming into place perfectly._ He thought as he gazed towards the setting sun. _I shall kill…_ He narrowed his eyes, as his Geass unconsciously activated once more. _Kill them all…_

* * *

 **Whew, that's that. First of all, I'd like to point out that even outnumbered, Julius' Caligula's specs and his piloting skills would've been enough to win the fight and kill Akito and Shin, had he not distracted himself, and I think it was very clear that he was dominating the fight. I'll admit that I was very disappointed when we didn't see neither the Vercingetorix nor the Alexander take on Suzaku in the Lancelot in the anime, though the fight between Shin and Akito was AWESOME(Except for the whole interdimensional Geass link and stuff, which almost ruined it for me). It was this same dissatisfaction that led me to the idea of the battle in this chapter, since I figured that instead of having Julius fight both opponents one at a time, it would be way better to make it a two on one and showcase the Lancelot model's superiority(Cuz let's be real, Lloyd knows his stuff.)**

 **Still, I'm a little sour that maybe it was a little too obvious that there would be a reluctant alliance between Leila and Julius, but oh well. Speaking of alliance, Ryo probably didn't make a good first impression XD. Julius won't be happy in the slightest when he wakes up, if you catch my drift. Shin's declared him dead, so he could get the knights under his command, nothing too surprising.**

 **Next chapter we're going to go a little more in-depth concerning Leila's Geass. Also, NO, I'm not going to be having a deus ex machina in the form of the dimensional supervisor appear and save the day, cause the characters are more than capable enough on their own! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I wish you a great day!  
**


	12. Insecure collaboration and dark secrets

**Whew, finally finished with this chapter. An apology in advance, since I revisited my original script and postponed the scene with Leila's Geass for next chapter, but I have added something else, regarding Shin's Geass, which I'm certain most of you will find intriguing. Anyway, enough from me, let's get on with this build up before the final battle of this arc.**

* * *

Stage 12: Insecure collaboration and dark secrets

* * *

The morning sun's light shone into the room through the windows, as Julius slowly opened his eyes, feeling woozy. However, his mind immediately entered high alert, as he felt the rays of light on his left eye, covering it instantly with his left arm, before he had opened it, feeling the presence of bandages wrapped around his forehead.

Looking around, he noticed that he was in a very large room, with white walls, looking like a hospital. He figured that this was most likely the medical wing of the W-0's base. He sat up, lifting the white sheets of the bed off himself, as he then noted that his whole upper body was missing its clothing and his torso was also bandaged, though he was still in his black and gold regal pants, which thankfully didn't have blood on them from his wound somehow. However, his jaw felt sore for some reason.

He let out a sigh to calm himself and organize his thoughts, glad that there was no one present in the room. He started to recall what had happened and soon after quickly deduced that he was knocked out, which resulted in the prince frowning and grinding his teeth in anger. Someone would be in serious trouble, when he found out who had the guts to suckerpunch him.

Julius turned to his other side, noticing a drawer on which lay his clothes, cleaned and folded, and eye-patch, which he quickly reached out for and put it on, feeling two of the amethyst crystals drop down on his neck from their long strands. He was about to get out of the bed, until his attention was taken by a loud meow. He looked towards the open windows to see a black and white cat with a bell around its neck looking at him curiously, standing on the outside railing.

"A cat?" He wondered out loud, as he watched it jump in the room and slowly make its way towards him. It meowed once more, making the prince look down at it, noticing that it was now before his bed, as in the next instant it jumped on it and went over to lay down in his lap.

The dark haired prince blinked a few times, confused, as he then felt the cat purr contently. His right eye twitched in annoyance at the pet, since he didn't recall ever making himself out to be a royal sleeping cushion. "You have quite the audacity for a mere animal." He spoke in an irritated tone, though the cat ignored him, which further annoyed the prince. "Get off!" He declared, as he picked up the cat and threw it to the side, with the feline landing on its legs a few feet away from the bed and turning back to the prince to meow at him sadly, not understanding what it had done wrong to deserve such cruelty.

Julius wanted to ignore the cat, but a strange feeling of regret began to clutch at him, as the cat continued its wailing. He had never been an animal lover per say, unlike Euphemia and Nunnally, though it would seem that animals had an attraction to him. Now having thought about it, maybe he didn't need to be so rough with the feeble creature. Still, he was a prince, he did not apologize for anything.

The one eyed prince let out a sigh, as he sat himself up properly and lay his back against the wall behind the end of the bed. He looked at the cat with an emotionless gaze, as it continued to stare at him with a sad look in its eyes. "Come here." He said, tapping the side of the bed lightly, which prompted the cat to walk towards him enthusiastically and jump back on the bed and returned to its previous position in the prince's lap.

Trying out a new approach, he slowly reached for the cat's head with his right hand and placed it on the feline's temple, feeling its fluffy fur, as it continued to purr. The prince began to gently scratch its head, exercising a lot of self-restraint and patience, wondering if he was doing it right. He shrugged, seeing that the cat was content. Julius gazed at the curled up feline, noticing how he himself had also relaxed, taking into consideration how this was the first time he felt so much at ease somewhere else outside his home. For the simple fact of the cat being able to somehow help him relax, he would permit it to rest in his lap for a minute more or so.

He gazed forward to nowhere in particular, as he let his mind get lost in thought, stopping to pet the cat and ignoring its disappointment. However, instead of thinking about yesterday's events or how he would deal with the problem, Julius pondered back to his memories with his family, his expression remaining empty, devoid of any emotion. He could feel his heart tighten, as the memories raced through his mind, reminding him once more of the happiness he had lost.

Before he could get further lost into his thoughts, he shook himself out of his trance, noticing the door to the room opening and frowning for being interrupted.

Leila entered the room with a neutral expression at first, though it quickly grew to curiosity, as she saw the prince awake and Eliza in his lap. "It would seem that you are awake." She said, her voice drawing her cat's attention, as it rose from its resting place, gaining a small glance out of the prince. The feline quickly went over to Leila and meowed at her, as the blond girl knelt down and picked up her cat, taking it in her arms. "Eliza, what are you doing here disturbing our guest?" Leila asked her cat with a concerned expression, receiving a reply in the form of the cat licking her hand and jump down from her arms, exiting out of the room without further notice, making the blue-eyed girl giggle.

Leila recomposed herself, as she turned her attention back to the prince, who met her gaze with an emotionless stare. "Good morning, prince Julius." Leila greeted him with a small smile. "I apologize if my cat has troubled you. She doesn't usually take to strangers." She said, as she closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed and pulled a chair to sit in.

"It bothers me not." Julius replied, returning his own mindset to how he always presented himself in front of others, cold, threatening and powerful. "Though I would like an explanation." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Leila quickly realized what he was talking about and proceeded to explain. "We brought you to the medical bay and had the staff perform a check up on you." She said. "Medicine was applied to your wounds and Dr. Randle stated that you could take the bandages off by the end of the day." Leila continued, remembering the doctor's surprised expression when she examined the prince, stating that it was rare to find a human with such quick rehabilitation as Julius', coupled with the fact that the prince had gotten away with only flesh wounds and no organ damage. The red haired doctor had explained how some humans were genetically born with the ability to recover from wounds faster.

"I apologize for taking off your eye-patch off without your permission, but we had to bandage the cut on your forehead." She added, thinking that he was owed that much, though she was surprised to notice that there didn't seem to be anything wrong with his left eye, when they removed the eye-patch. However, she had opted for the doctors not to sate their curiosity regarding his left eye and perform a retinal check, seeing it as an intrusion on privacy.

"Hmph." Julius shrugged, as he rose from the bed and walked over to take his clothes. "So far you've done a lack luster job at hospitality." He said with an annoyed tone, reminding himself that he still owed one of the people in this base a good beatdown. He proceeded to walk over in front of the mirror in the room and put on his gloves, while the rest of his clothes he put on a small stool next to himself.

Leila couldn't help but pass a glance at the prince's incredibly toned physique, which she immediately scolded herself for, averting her gaze from Julius, who, unknown to her, had seen the silent ordeal and smirked to himself. The blond commander had to make sure that the allegiance with the prince was secure, since otherwise she could end up dooming everyone. She was taken out of her thoughts, however, when she heard the prince's prideful laughter.

"You should feel honored for getting to take in the sight of the perfection that is my body!" Julius smirked at her, enjoying how her face lit up, trying to deny her previous actions, as he put on his black tank top with the crest of Britannia and black and gold cloaked robes.

"N-no, it was not my intention to-!" Leila sputtered out, trying to deny his claim, but felt her heart skip a beat, when Julius walked in front of her, keeping his smirk, as he gently grasped her chin, making Leila stared into his eye with utter surprise. Her heart wasn't ready for this! Was he going to assault her?! Her mind was a mess, as she desperately tried to keep her composure and find the strength to pull back from his advance.

"Heh." Julius let out a small chuckle, as he leaned in closer to Leila, enjoying the reactions she was giving. "As I said before, you were a fool to let me in here." He continued to smirk. "But I shall permit your foolishness, if only because you are a fellow Britannian." He said surprising Leila, who now realized that the conversation was on a very serious matter.

"What does that mean?" Leila frowned at the prince, as she pulled back, breaking free from his hold. It would seem that the prince would really prove troublesome in terms of forming a deal with.

Julius enjoyed her resistance. It only made her that more amusing in his eyes. "It means that you have taken my interest." He replied, confusing Leila, using said opportunity to grasp her throat, with Leila's hands trying to break his hold, now having her completely under his dominance. "Especially that power of yours." Julius commented, while Leila struggled to break free, as his gaze narrowed threateningly. "How did you acquire it?" He growled, wanting immediate answers.

The tension in the room only rose, when Akito entered the room becoming wide eyed from what he saw. He quickly took out his gun from his uniform's pocket and aimed at Julius, who frowned at the interruption. "Put her down now!" Akito ordered, his decision to come check on Leila, since he was worried of leaving her alone with the prince, having proven accurate, as he slowly approached Julius, who glared daggers at him.

"You dare to order me, Eleven?!" Julius yelled out, completely enraged, but failed to realize that having diverted his attention had lessened his grip enough for Leila to make her move. In a quick and precise combination of moves, Leila turned, having grasped the prince's arm, and threw him over her shoulder. At least that was what she was going to do. Instead, she found her grip reversed by Julius, as it was him that threw her at Akito, who dropped his gun to catch her in his arms. "So you can fight, huh?" He noted with an amused smirk, gazing at the surprised Leila.

"Thank you, Akito." Leila thanked her savior for coming when he did. She didn't know how this situation was going to progress and she had her worries that it might escalate beyond control at a moment's notice.

"Commander, call for help to subdue our guest." Akito told her, stepping in front of her, intent on protecting her from the prince that frowned at them. "I will keep him at bay until help arrives." He said, raising his hands in preparation for a fight, with the prince beginning to walk towards them, realizing that he didn't have time to pick up his pistol, lest he give him an opening.

"Out of my way, Eleven." Julius growled threateningly, as he continued his approach. Akito would not budge, as the two grew closer to a confrontation.

And there it was. Leila was worried about the impending racism towards the Japanese, which no doubt the Britannian prince had in gallons. Building a bridge to connect both sides wasn't going to be as easy as she thought it would be.

"Akito, wait!" Leila said, making both men draw their eyes to her. She locked gazes with Julius, preferring to not let things escalate to violence. "Your highness," She started, deciding it would be better to use the Britannian way of conversation to ease the tension. "you said that you wanted to know more about some power that I have, but I sincerely have no idea what you are talking about." While her statement had been mostly true, she did have an inkling suspicion that this supposed power had something to do with the curse bestowed on her by the witch in the forest. Why the prince wanted answers about it, however, was another question altogether, which she would have to think hard on.

Julius kept his eye on her, analyzing her every word for a hint that she could be lying, while Akito continued to stand in front of her as a shield. Taking a few seconds to think through what she said, the prince eventually let out a disappointed sigh. "I see." He said, deciding to play the fool for now. _She's feigning ignorance, but… she should've used her Geass on me by now. Is she really not aware of her power?_ Julius debated the matter in his head. It would seem that he'd have to postpone this topic for another time. "Well then, with that matter out of the way, I suggest we have breakfast." The prince stated, gaining confused looks from his two blue-eyed companions, after which he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at them with a displeased expression. "Or do you plan to keep me locked up in here until I die of starvation?"

Realizing that she too had skipped breakfast, Leila immediately shook her head. "Of course not, your highness." She replied, while Akito sighed and picked up his pistol, putting it back in his pocket. "Please, follow me." Leila said, as she was then followed by the prince and Akito to the cafeteria, the latter of which was coming along to ensure his commander's safety.

* * *

At the Britannian base in the forests surrounding Castle Weisswolf, the Knights of St. Michael were busy at work regrouping their forces. Knightmares were being stationed at the barracks for check-up, while soldiers related messages to their commanders on the state of their force. However, gathered in a private control room, the three swordmasters of the Knights of St. Michael were having a debate on what was going on.

"I'm telling you, that bastard, Shaing, has betrayed the prince!" Scholtz slammed his fist on the table, venting out his evident frustrations. The news of the twelfth prince's sudden demise were something that nobody had expected and frankly, it almost sounded like a lie to the knights.

"Calm yourself, Scholtz." Dore told his companion. He too found this whole situation very suspicious, but they had no evidence with which to charge their grandmaster. "We can only make assumptions without proper facts to guide us."

"I agree." Brondello nodded in reply. "For now the point stands that Julius vi Britannia is not among us and that Shin Hyuga Shaing is in control. All we can do for now is wait and see."

Scholtz clenched his fists, but let out a sigh. "I know, but if worse comes to pass, then we'll be hunted down by the homeland." He voiced his concerns, knowing full well that the rest of the imperial family wasn't going to take kindly to the news of another death befallen its member, even though Julius wasn't even dear to almost any of them.

"If we do learn that it was Shaing, who murdered the prince, then he will be punished." Dore stated, his pride and oath as a Knight to serve Britannia and the imperial family loyally at stake. "Until then, our target is set. We will reassemble what's left of our forces and show those Europians the meaning of chivalry." He said, gaining nods from his two friends.

"All hail Britannia!" The three men cheered with their right hands on their hearts.

* * *

After she had accompanied Julius to breakfast along with Akito, Leila felt completely exhausted just from the tension surrounding the prince. It didn't help that he and Akito occasionally sent each other glares. Thankfully, no other problems seemed to arise, as the prince then had demanded that he wanted to hold a war council, much to Leila's relief. So here they were now, inside her office.

Gathered in Leila's office, Julius, Akito, Claus and Ashley were going over the information they had on hand in order to make an efficient battle strategy. The four men each sat in a chair next to each other, while Leila was at her desk. Noon had passed and the sun's light was gradually beginning to fade.

"Thanks to Yukiya, the enemy's scale has decreased almost by 2/3." Claus reported what the scanners had picked up, making Julius quirk an eyebrow, interested at the prospect of someone being able to wipe out half of the force he was to lead. Still, it was to be expected, given that they were now under the order of Shin. Claus sighed. "But we are still quantitatively overwhelmed."

"Ho? So the Eleven that was on death's door yesterday was actually somewhat capable." Julius noted, mildly interested.

Claus looked at the prince with concern. He was still not seeing why Leila wanted to trust him, but he would roll with it. "Your highness, we don't use the number word in here." The former spy said, nervously scratching the back of his head, while Leila frowned and Akito glared at the prince.

"I'm aware." Julius grumbled, while Ashley was stuffing his face with sandwiches on the side, as the prince turned to Leila. "Have you tried making a connection with the surviving forces through the channel inputted in my Knightmare?" He asked her.

"Yes," Leila nodded, but her expression remained negative. "but it is being jammed and we are unable to form a line."

"Tch, how obnoxious." Julius clicked his tongue, finding Shin's precautions annoying. "Based on the information stated earlier, it is safe to conclude that they used today to regroup their forces, which most likely means that we have a four-day breather before the battle at max." The prince turned to Leila once more. "What is the status of my Knightmare?"

"Captain Clement is working on it along with the other Alexanders." Leila informed him. It was strange for her not to be the one to be making the battle plan, as Julius hadn't left her a chance to suggest an idea, though she didn't really mind. If the prince was able to come up with a proper plan that didn't involve any of her friends dying, she would be content with letting him be in command.

Staying silent for a few minutes to consider his options, Julius tapped his foot, while Akito, Leila and Claus waited for his answer patiently, while Ashley seemed to have devoured all of his sandwiches. "Then we are presented with only one course of action." Julius stated, as he looked at Leila, wanting to see her reaction to his plan. "Shaing's goal is the Apollo's chariot, so I want at least two units stationed there to guard it, as he will most likely send his lapdog there while the fight rages on."

"Jean?" Ashley wondered, thinking about what the prince said, realizing that he was most likely right. "Yeah, that idiot's gonna be there." He nodded.

"As for the Knights of St. Michael," Julius continued. "Most of them are loyal to me, so instead of killing them all off, I want you to simply provide a challenge for them through the wall, to keep Shaing from noticing that something's up, after which I will do the rest." He stated, gaining a nod from Leila. "After that, Shaing's head will be rolling at my feet." Julius stated, having a score to settle with the knight.

Akito frowned. "I'm going to be the one to fight my brother." He declared gaining a glare from Julius and a smirk from Ashley, while Leila looked at him with worry. "It is my responsibility to stop him."

"Don't you mean it's our responsibility?" Ashley grinned at Akito, making the Japanese pilot shrug with a small smile.

"Fine." Julius replied, surprising Akito with his agreement, as the prince played with the crystals of his eyepatch between his fingers. "You'll have your chance to take out Shaing, but if you fail, I'm taking over." He added, narrowing his eye at Akito.

"Thank you." Akito replied, glad that the prince was at least understanding.

Julius stayed silent in thought, not replying to Akito's gratitude. Brother, huh? He wondered, as he remembered his and Lelouch's falling out before his twin was casted out along with Nunnally. He was genuinely interested to see how the two Hyuga siblings would settle their feud, the reason for which he wouldn't admit being the ounce of hope he held that he and Lelouch would've been able to make up, had he stayed alive. It was just a simple gesture, but that was it, there was nothing more to it. He didn't owe these people for saving him. He owed no one.

"Well then," Julius rose from his seat, gaining curious looks from everyone else. "seeing as this meeting is of now finished, I want to check for myself the condition of my Knightmare." He stated, abruptly bringing the meeting to an end, not caring if there was something else that the others wanted to discuss, since he was done with this business and had to move on to the other. He didn't enjoy wasting precious time in idle chatter with some commoners, who, except for Leila and Ashley, normally wouldn't even be worthy to be in his presence.

"Right." Leila nodded, taking note that the prince seemed to enjoy everything to be according to his whims and desires, which was hardly surprising, considering that he was royalty. He was a perfect example of what Britannia represented, strength, intimidation, influence and most importantly, the obnoxiously large pride. Still, she retained her hopes that if she was somehow able to spark a positive change in him, then her dream truly was within reach. "We will bring you there right away, your highness." Leila stood up, gaining a silent nod from Akito, who rose from his chair, resuming his bodyguard duty, since he was still worried to leave Leila alone with the prince. The blond commander sincerely appreciated the gesture and his attempts and not being antagonistic towards the Britannian royal.

* * *

In the medical wing of the castle, Ryo and Ayano were staying close to their injured friend. The scenery of the operation room wasn't in the least bit calming, coupled with all of the medical equipment attached to the unconscious Yukiya, the two Japanese were overflowing with worry. While the operation had been a success, to which they were eternally grateful, Yukiya was still in a coma, his body recovering from all the damage it had suffered.

Ayano stood on a small chair beside the bed, dressed in her W-0 uniform, having wrapped her hands around one Yukiya's motionless arms. She simply stood there in silence, praying to the heavens for her friend's recovery. The dark haired girl simply couldn't understand why had he decided to stay up on the reactor for so long, foregoing their original plan, which was danger proof.

Ryo, however, was having trouble keeping his composure, as he found it exceedingly hard not to get angry at the damn Britannians, who incurred the current state of his dear friend. In fact, he couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't keep looking at Yukiya like this.

"Ayano, I'm gonna leave for a while." Ryo said quietly, gaining a nod from the pink eyed girl, the only sound in the room being the beeping of the heart rate tracking device. He exited out of the room and after he was a good distance away, he let out all of his frustrations. "Damn it!" He yelled out, as he punched the wall next to him as hard as he could, hurting his knuckles against the resilient metal surface. The brown haired Japanese let out a sigh, ignoring the pain, as he then began to wonder about, figuring that he would eventually stumble upon something to take his mind off of things.

* * *

Julius arrived at the Knightmare facility beneath the castle, alone, courtesy to Leila proposing to give him freedom of movement without constantly being tailed by Akito in exchange that he didn't cause a conflict or assault someone. The prince shrugged, as the metal doors of the elevator slid open, finding his predicament quite amusing. When was the last time someone else but his mother gave him conditions to follow? "Heh." He chuckled, clearly amused and in a good mood, as the lab came into view.

He immediately noticed the three girls looking at him, the one with the long purple hair being familiar. Judging by their presence in the room and positions at computers, he easily figured that they were the people handling everything related to Knightmare tech in this place. Julius noted their nervous and worried expression, as he approached them, though he ignored them. He had to abide by the rules, cause otherwise, he would be under house arrest.

The girls were silent, having stopped their work to gaze at him, noting his amused smirk. None of them knew what to expect of the Britannian prince and frankly, they were still surprised from Leila's announcement that they were allies now.

"Which one of you is Anna Clement?" Julius asked, walking over in front of them, watching how they almost quivered in fear. While he did enjoy the reaction, it was bothersome when it came to making conversations. _Am I really that monstrous in the common person's eyes?_ He wondered, annoyed that it was hard to strike a normal conversation with the common folk, as he liked to put it. _Or is it the fact that I reek of blood and sweat from not having a shower?_ _Add taking a shower on the to do list by the end of the day._

"T-that would be me." Anna raised her hand slightly, slowly and nervously rising from her seat.

"Well then, miss Clement," Julius said, deciding to lose his amused smirk, thinking that maybe he was smiling in a creepy way, though he couldn't tell, since there wasn't a mirror. Usually he was very adept at controlling his facial expressions. "first I would like you to lose that stuttering and talk in a way befitting of a scientist." He put his right arm on his waist. "I understand that you are scared, but I have other things to do, so I'd like to waste as less time as possible." The one eyed prince said, smiling inwardly at how Anna paled a little when he stated that he was aware of her fear.

Realizing what Julius was aiming at, Anna quickly cleared her throat, doing her best to calm herself down. If he was here only for a check, then surely they had nothing to fear, at least she hoped, as she failed to notice the silent supportive glances that Chloe and Hilda sent her. "Are you here for your Knightmare, your highness?" Anna asked, deciding to be as polite as possible and to cut directly to the chase. Strangely enough, she and her assistants had just been discussing the Britannian tech, when the prince arrived.

"Indeed," Julius nodded. "I wanted to be assured that my Caligula wouldn't be rigged with hidden explosives." He smirked.

"We would never even think about doing such a thing!" Anna replied frantically, horrified that the Britannian was here to assess their trustworthiness.

"Worry not, for I was just joking." Julius chuckled, making Anna, Chloe and Hilda let out a large sigh of relief, finding his humor life threatening. He knew that they wouldn't have the guts or audacity for such an act, not with Leila being their commander. "To be truthful, I was also interested in you." He said, completely surprising Anna. "It's not every day that I see such interesting Knightmares like your… what were they called again?"

"Alexanders." Anna replied.

"Yes, that was it." Julius nodded, as he then looked to the side, noticing what was clearly supposed to be an upgraded version of Akito's Alexander currently being built. It was mostly the same, however, it was coated in a strange purple armor and had new weaponry. "I should let you know that I greatly respect people like you, who push forward with continuous innovation. That was why I even sent salvaged parts of your Knightmares for study back to the homeland."

"You did?" Anna raised her eyebrows in surprise. The Britannian prince was admitting that her designs, the work of a Europian, was innovative. She would've been exceedingly cheerful at the recognition, had she not have to go through the effort to keep her composure in front of the prince. "I am greatly honored by your words." She replied with a small friendly smile, thinking that she could perhaps allow this much.

"Your assistants are free to speak their mind as well." Julius said, as he walked over to where his Knightmare was lined up in cables and its arm had been perfectly reassembled. He was in a scientific environment, so he would allow for their freedom of speech. Who knew, maybe he could learn something useful from what they had to say. "I see that you've wasted no time in getting your hands on Earl Asplund's tech." He noted, to which the three girls went hysteric.

"I knew that this was Lloyd Asplund's secret Seventh generation design!" Hilda exclaimed victoriously, turning to her colleague. "My dear Chloe, it would seem that I won our bet." She declared with a smug smile, completely forgetting the fact that Julius was in the room, while Chloe begrudgingly handed to her friend her own desert, which they had wagered.

Anna decided to ignore her assistants and instead focused on keeping the conversation with the prince going. "I'm truly astonished." She said, returning Julius' attention to herself. "Not only did we get our hands on Schrotter steel, but we also get to witness Lloyd Asplund's work first hand."

"Hmph." Julius shrugged, crossing his arms, allowing for the lighter mood to take place in the room. "While it is entirely based on the Earl's design, this is not his original work. That unit is currently out for field testing in Area 11." He glanced at Anna's admiring gaze directed towards his Knightmare.

"Even so, it is still an outstanding work." Anna noted, realizing just how far ahead Earl Asplund was. He had invented the Blaze Luminous, an energy shield that could deflect seemingly any type of ammunition hurled its way, and the MVS Swords, anti-Knightmare blades with high frequency vibrations, which allowed for the sword to instantly cut through a Knightmare's hull. This was truly leagues ahead of her own work.

Julius considered a certain train of thought, while Chloe and Hilda argued about something. What would he do once Shaing had been killed? For now, the only thing he would be winning were the Apollo's Chariot and perhaps some more information on Geass. But, what if he could come out with more? Standing in front of him, in the face of Anna Clement, was an engineering prodigy, capable of creating a totally new type of Knightmare. He couldn't help but wonder what she could build if she had access to Britannia's resource, or better yet, build for him. The prince smirked, as he stretched his hand out forward in a dramatic display, pointing at a flabbergasted Anna. "Miss Clement, in recognition of your work, I, Julius vi Britannia, would like to extend an invitation for your services in favor of Britannia."

Anna was utterly speechless, along with Hilda and Chloe, whose jaws hung open from shock. However, the head researcher quickly shook her head, realizing what this was. The enemy wanted to use her talent to further their own weaponry. "I apologize, but I will have to humbly decline your offer." She stated firmly, deciding that she had her honor to uphold, not wanting to betray her friends and country simply to pursue greater heights. She wasn't like that. "I appreciate the gesture, really, but it's just not happening. I have friends, who need me here." She said, beginning to grow nervous if the prince would've been angry with her refusal. However, she quickly became confused.

"Hahaha!" Julius' hearty laughter resounded in the room. He was beginning to be more and more amused by this strange unit, led by a pacifist, its main force consisting only of Elevens, and scientists, who held their friends dearer than their work. What a truly astonishing place he had wound up into, completely different than Britannia. He calmed down his laughter and smirked at the purple haired researcher. "I accept your decline, but just so you know, it is in your interest to accept my offer, since you are considered dead by the world." The prince dressed in black and gold shrugged, figuring that there was no need to rush. He would get these assets to his side sooner or later. "My offer will remain open for you to accept, so do take your time to actually consider."

"I believe that I will remain firm in my decision." Anna stated, though tried to avoid sounding antagonistic.

"Heh." Julius chuckled to himself, as he turned to walk away. "You've done well to amuse this prince and you have been worthy enough to hold my attention." He declared, enjoying the fact that he was kept in a good mood, when he had expected to actually get a headache from dealing with these people from the lower class. Maybe he would permit them some more freedom in their interactions with him, maybe. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Clement, and do continue your outstanding work. I'd hate for such potential to go to waste." He said, as he arrived in front of the elevator, the mechanical doors sliding open. Julius left the room without further comment, leaving the three girls in silence for a while.

After a few seconds had passed, Chloe and Hilda erupted from their seats and rushed over to Anna. "Boss, are you okay?!" They both asked in worry, as they had to catch Anna from falling on her knees, having exerted her mental control.

"That was… different from what I expected." Anna noted, as her assistants helped her get seated on the sofa over to their PCs. She had expected the infamous homicide prince to be this monster in man's skin, but her interaction with the prince had proven her wrong. While the difference in stature was evident, the prince wasn't this walking horror that the whole of the E.U. knew him as, but rather just a very prideful human being.

"No kidding." Hilda smiled, as she brought all of them some coffee. "I was seriously worried there for a second." She said, handing out the cups to the other two.

"I kinda see why Leila wants to trust the prince." Chloe mused, after taking a sip from her coffee. "Honestly, I'm kind of confused. The similarities are there, but he doesn't seem like the way rumors portray him."

"It is a refreshing breather, I'll say." Hilda let out a relieved sigh.

* * *

Having finished his business with the Knightmare research group, Julius was in a fairly pleasant mood, which was noted as such, when he encountered Akito walking throughout the halls. The two had shared a brief exchange of passively aggressive glances before they parted ways.

Whilst walking through the corridors, Julius quickly caught on to the fact that he was being watched. He noticed the many hidden cameras throughout the castle and thought that there were most likely more which he couldn't see. The prince shrugged, figuring that it was natural for such a system to be implemented, as he continued his small tour of the place.

Currently walking through the large main hall of the castle, his suddenly got a lot more fulfilling, when he encountered Ryo walking about with an angry disposition. Julius' amused smirk disappeared from his face, replaced with a threatening glare, which stared down Ryo's own, as the latter began making his way towards him. Perfect, his pray would come willingly.

"What are you looking at?!" Ryo growled, his fists shaking, angry at the Britannian prince. He seriously wanted to get another punch in that smug face of his, just so he could feel better.

"I do not believe that I've allowed for you to address me, mongrel." Julius stated with a frim and dangerous tone, as Ryo got in front of him, blocking his way. "Move, unless such a simple command is not clear enough for you, Eleven." Julius grinned mockingly, infuriating Ryo, knowing that this would most likely get the reaction he wanted. He would allow this ant the opportunity to throw the first punch.

"That's it!" Ryo roared, his frustration from Yukiya's state completely boiling over. "It's because of scum like you that Yukiya is… that Yukiya is…!" He yelled out, as he swung for the prince's face.

However, Julius effortlessly grabbed his hand before it could even reach him. "How utterly disgusting, blaming someone else for what your own weakness failed to prevent." He spat out, as he then pulled in Ryo's hand, making the Japanese stumble forward, with the prince driving his elbow into his face, knocking him down to the ground.

Ryo wiped his mouth from the small specs of blood that had been drawn and attempted to stand up, only for the prince's foot to slam hard on his head, pushing him back to the ground. "Guh!" Ryo grunted out in pain.

"You finally learn your place." Julius chuckled, enjoying the moment, as he was aware that all of this had been caught on camera and that his fun would be interrupted. "Weaklings like you are meant to be under my foot." He declared with a sinister smirk, as he pushed harder down, preventing Ryo from being able to get up, while the Japanese clenched his teeth, baring with the pain. "You had quite the audacity to actually punch me, when all you are is a simple revolting Eleven!" Julius yelled out, his anger finally getting to him. However, before he could stomp down on or kick Ryo's face, the prince felt the nozzle of a gun pointed at the back of his head.

"Stand down." Akito's serious and threatening voice sounded from behind him. The blue haired Japanese was not about to let the prince have his way with one of his first friends after a long while. Julius noted that he was also surrounded by the security personnel, aiming their guns at him.

"Stop this, at once!" Leila came rushing in, wanting to resolve the situation peacefully.

"Tch." Julius clicked his tongue in irritation, as he retracted his foot from Ryo's head, allowing the Japanese to stand on his feet and brush his bruised up face. Everyone still kept their guns at the prince, but he would not raise his hands to indicate surrender.

"Everyone, lower your weapons!" Leila ordered, Akito and the rest of the personnel slowly doing as they were told.

Akito walked past Julius and went to help Ryo, while Leila made her way towards them. She realized that Julius was still staring angrily at Ryo, which made her and the others on edge.

Knowing that his anger would most likely not lead to anything worth his time, Julius let out a long and heavy sigh in an effort to calm himself down. He seriously needed to work on his temper. He resumed his glare and pointed at Ryo, who glared back at him. "Dog, if you do not wish to lose something precious to you, then treasure it, keep it safe and most importantly, destroy anything that endangers it." Julius stated, surprising everyone around him. "When you realize that you were simply too weak to protect what you care about, then maybe I'll spare you the time of day." The prince said, as he then abruptly turned to leave. "Until then, you are naught but an animal to me."

Everyone watched the prince leave silently, while Ryo seemed to actually contemplate his words. Now that he thought about it, he really had allowed himself to get carried away. "Damn, I really messed up." Ryo chuckled through the pain.

"It would seem so." Akito said with a small smile, deciding to tease his friend, who elbowed him in the shoulder lightly and laughed. Ryo was tough and hard-headed, he wouldn't let such an experience to bring him down, for which Akito was genuinely grateful.

"Ryo," Leila said, gaining the two boys' attention. She looked at them with a small smile. "I really wish for you to reflect on what happened. We've yet to see in person the true side of the homicide prince, but do know that the danger is still there if we push too much."

"Yeah, I read you." Ryo shrugged, admitting his defeat.

"Want me to accompany you to the infirmary?" Akito asked him, making Ryo push him lightly.

"I don't need you to baby sit me." Ryo chuckled. "I can take care of myself." He said, as he headed for the medical bay to get his bruises treated. This was far from his first fist fight.

Akito watched him and the security personnel leave, putting away his gun. He then turned to Leila, noticing that she had a contemplative look on her face. "Is something wrong, Commander?" He asked her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Are you aware of the prince's background, Akito?" Leila asked him with a curious look on her face, wanting to see if she could discuss what was on her mind with him.

"Not really." Akito replied, having never been interested enough to look into the many dramas surrounding the Britannian royal family.

"Julius vi Britannia lost his mother in a terrorist attack on his home, which also left his younger sister crippled, who was then cast away along with her older brother, the prince's twin, to Japan." Leila quickly summarized, wanting to paint a clear picture for Akito, to show him what she was thinking. "The two siblings then lost their lives in Brittania's war against Japan. This is all the information that I've been able to dig up." She said, turning to him. "What do you make of this, coupled with the prince's behavior?"

Akito considered her words in silence. He quickly realized what she was aiming at, knowing that she most likely wanted to change the Britannian into a better person, but he simply did not believe it possible. It didn't matter how much one changed, they still remained the same at the core. He held the same belief for his brother, knowing that he was too corrupted by that strange curse, which destroyed everything around him. He was certain that there was only one way to end his brother's madness and he had to be the one to do it.

To be fair though, he knew next to nothing about the prince, so there could be something that Leila was able to see that he couldn't. "I do not know, Commander." Akito replied truthfully, making Leila's gaze sadden a little. It took more than a seemingly tragic backstory to convince him. "I may not like him or agree with him, but I will try to show Julius vi Britannia that there is a better side of things," He smiled at her, making Leila beam at him. "just like you showed me."

"Thank you." Leila blushed from his comment, becoming slightly fidgety. She felt that she was truly blessed to have found someone so understanding like Akito. He sincerely believed in her and that was all the fuel she needed to go on.

* * *

At the main Britannian base, Shin Hyuga had locked himself in his office for some much needed privacy. He had been experiencing strange sensations from his Geass through the whole day, as it even clouded his vision at times, sending him into flashbacks or make him see ghosts of the dead. What he failed to realize was that the power consumed those without a strong enough will to properly maintain it and drove them mad.

The grandmaster clutched at his head, the headache becoming almost unbearable, as he was about to take some of the pain relief he usually had on himself. However, this time he wouldn't have the chance to do so, as his Geass activated in his left eye once more, drawing him to another flashback.

Shin looked around, noting that the headache had stopped and realizing that he was at an all too familiar scene. The corpse of his dead father was at his feet, while his younger self panted, covered in blood and with sword in hand. He vividly remembered the time he had killed his own father and what followed after it.

His younger self turned towards a newly arrived presence in the room, raising his sword against this stranger. "I see that you are here to die as well." The teen Shin declared, gaining an amused childish chuckle from his new companion.

"You are indeed an interesting one, Shin Hyuga." The small boy with extremely long blond hair, dressed in regal clothes, said with a small smile, as it continued making its way towards him. "You desire power, am I wrong?" He asked childishly.

"What of it?" Shin sneered at the small boy, not finding his antics amusing, even though he was seriously curious as to how he got here.

"That's just it." The boy chirped cheerfully. "I can give you the power you desire, if you enter a contract with me."

Shin considered his statement, realizing that he had already departed on the road from which there was no going back. He had nothing to lose. "Alright then, grant me power." The younger Shin said, narrowing his eyes at the smiling boy. "In return, I shall destroy the world for you."

The small boy was practically on the verge of falling over from laughter, as he calmed himself and smiled at him once more. "The power of the king is for those who detest this world full of lies." The boy said, making Shin frown.

"Then I shall be eligible to have it." Shin stated, as then the world around him came to a freeze and shifted strangely.

"Alright then." The boy said joyfully, having activated the link between his Code and Shin's conscience. "You should know that this power will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for that?"

"Solitude? So be it." Shin shrugged the warning off and completely accepted the contract. "Rather, I embrace it!"

"Excellent. Then from here forth, you are a user of Geass." The small boy stated, the world around them returning to normal, as he then turned around to walk away. "I expect many things from you, Shin Hyuga." The boy said with an eerie smile, seeing the Geass in Shin's left eye, as he left the room, leaving Shin to enjoy his new power.

The flashback ended and Shin's conscience returned to the presence. He stood motionless in silence for a few moments, until he began to chuckle to himself like a madman.

"Kill…" He chuckled. "Kill everything…" He exploded into full blown mad laughter, throwing his medicine away. "I'll kill them all!" He laughed, as he failed to realize that his second eye was beginning to change, the sigil of a Geass blinking back and forth.

* * *

 **Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon**

Noon had passed and the large and busy capital of the empire was full of life, as a very important event was to take place. Yet, even surrounded by all this commotion, there were those, who enjoyed the serenity of peace and quiet. One such individual could be found at a small church in the outskirts of the city.

He stood in front of the altar, surrounded by silence. He was the only one currently present at the sacred building. Its golden ornaments and intricately designed walls with various biblical scenes engraved on them only added to the humble yet astounding presence that the small building had. Various other religious symbols were also gracing the room, such as golden rosaries, crosses and sacred images.

The sole occupant in the room stood in silence, with the Bible in one hand, reading it in silence. The tranquility, however, was quickly ruined, as the man sensed someone else entering. He promptly closed the book and put it away in the place he usually left it and smiled at the image of Christ in front of him.

"I knew that I'd find you here." The woman's enthusiastic voice resounded through the room, though she did try to be quiet out of consideration.

"My soul finds rest in God alone." The man in front of the altar said, as he then turned around to smile at his companion. "My invitation for you to join me on a liturgy is still open, Nonette."

"No thanks," Nonette laughed dismissively. She was dressed in her Knights of the Round uniform and wore her light purple cloak, evidencing her intended destination after this little meeting. "I'm not the religious type."

"So you are." The man at the alter smiled, as he walked towards her. His spiky silver hair and warming blue eyes, coupled with his relaxing smile, made one believe that they were in the presence of a saint. The man had a disposition about him that radiated warmth and friendliness, but also confidence. He was somewhere in his early twenties, which was evidenced by his youthful yet mature appearance. Hanging around his neck was a golden cross on a leather cord necklace, which accented to his white and gold uniform of a Knight of the Round. His cloak had the standard golden accents, but his was in a grey color.

"You really like all this stuff, Rai." Nonette told him with a smile, placing her arm on her waist. "We should hurry. Don't want to be late for the emperor's speech, now do we?"

"Indeed." Rai nodded with his own smile. "Let us make haste." He said, as he and his fellow Knight of the Round exited out of the sacred temple, heading for the Royal palace where the speech for the funeral of prince Clovis was to be held. Rai could only pray that Clovis' spirit was at peace and that the Lord accepted him among heaven.

Many wondered things about Rai. Who he was, where he came from and so forth. Those were all but trivial questions that were shadowed by the large truth. This man was the Knight of Eleven, Rai Hodges, one of the Holy Britannian Empire's strongest.

* * *

 **E.U., Castle Weisswolf**

Julius had been wondering what all the commotion was about, when he saw a few familiar faces gather at a quick pace towards the main hall. Intrigued, he decided to sate his curiosity and entered the large room, where everyone payed close attention to the large Video feed. He noted that perhaps this was the whole of the W-0, since even Leila, Akito and Ashley were present and had serious looks on their faces, despite the fact that Ayano was still with the unconscious Yukiya.

"What's going on here-" As soon as the question left his mouth, Julius fell quiet, his eye widening upon seeing the contents of the video feed. His father, the emperor of Britannia, stood in front of a large portrait of Clovis, with the whole of the Knights of the Round lined behind him. All rational thought was immediately blown away from the prince's head and was replaced with restrained for the moment anger. He didn't even bother to know how the hell they had gotten access to Britannian networks.

He could see them, all of the eight Knights of the Round, some of his siblings like Schneizel and Oddyseus, they were all shown by the camera. And yet none caught his attention as much as the emperor himself. The prince roughly pushed through everyone, who cowered a few feet away from him upon noticing his presence.

Everyone noticed how intensely the prince stared at the screen, though it was only Akito and Leila, who were genuinely concerned for what was going to be said. It was no secret that everyone in this room held resentment towards the monarch of the Britannian empire and the tension filled the room.

"And now, his royal majesty, the 98th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire." The announcer spoke, giving the spotlight to the emperor.

The towering man grasped firmly the sides of his podium, as he gazed sternly forward, his head held high. "All men are not created equal." He started his speech. "Some are born swifter afoot. Some with greater beauty. Some are born into poverty and others born sick and feeble. Both in birth and upbringing, in sheer scope of ability every human is inherently different." The emperor spoke, as he continued, the world watching closely. "Yes, that is why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition and the unfaltering march of progress. Inequality is not wrong, equality is!" He declared. "What of the EU, which made equality a right? Rabble doing politics for a popularity contest! The Chinese Federation with its equal distribution of wealth, a nation of lazy dullards!" The emperor's voice boomed. "But not our beloved Britannia! We fight! We compete! Evolution is continuous!" The speech continued. "Britannia alone moves forward advancing steadily into the future! Even the death of my son, Clovis, demonstrates Britannia's unswerving commitment to progress!"

It was at this point that Julius vi Britannia's mental control utterly snapped. "Of course it doesn't matter!" He roared, his face twisting in pure rage, stunning everyone in the room. "No one's death matters, you bastard!" He yelled out, as he kicked the table in front of him with all his strength, sending it hurling over, breaking all of its decorations on top of it. It was the same, just like with his siblings, expendable, unnoticeable losses. Everyone watched the prince's hysterical fit in utter shock.

"We will fight on!" The emperor's speech continued, which forced Julius to clutch his head, struggling to keep control of himself.

"Shut up!" He yelled, as he tensed his body and clutched at his temple, attempting to regain control over himself.

"We shall struggle and compete, plunder and dominate!" The emperor spoke.

"Shut up!" Julius yelled out, as he felt his left eye pulsing, thrusting for blood. He needed to get out of the room, he needed something, anything, to keep him from killing all of these bystanders. To hell with them seeing him like this, he needed to regain rationality, otherwise he would massacre them all simply to calm himself among their corpses and blood.

"And in the end, the future shall be ours!" The emperor declared, as he raised his fist in the air. "All hail Britannia!" The Knights of the Round placed their right hands on their hearts along with everyone else in the room, who rose from their seats and chanted for their homeland. What he didn't know, that there was a certain someone watching the broadcast at his school's assembly and vowed to rid the world of Britannia.

At this point, Julius had already left the room with ragged breaths and growls, clutching his head and leaving everyone utterly stunned and terrified. Most didn't have the words to express the sheer amount of dread and confusion they were swarmed in.

"Well… that was unexpected to say the least…" Ashley broke the silence, wiping some sweat from his face.

"Dr. Randle…?" Joe Wise nervously turned to his boss, clearly frightened to death by the display, noticing that the woman was with a contemplative look on her face, as everyone else turned to her.

"Leila…" Sophie turned with a worried gaze towards her commander, who looked back with a distraught look on her face. "Those were clear symptoms of an extremely severe case of mental instability if I have ever seen one."

"What do you mean?" Leila asked, growing concerned.

"The prince is volatile, Leila." Sophie told her, clearly having become increasingly worried about the fact that they had allowed for Julius to stay with them. "We were lucky that it was only the table that was in his direct line of sight."

"The rumors of the homicide prince being insane seem to be more than true." Claus noted quietly, still trying to get over the shock he had experienced.

"He is dangerous, Leila!" Sophie wanted to make Leila realize the imminent danger lurking among them.

"No, he was civil and sane." Leila argued, refusing to believe that all of the progress she had made was naught but a lie.

"Only to a point where a trigger breaks the thin glass that is his rational thought." Sophie countered.

To everyone's surprise, Akito and Ryo backed Leila up, as the latter crossed his arms. "I don't know and frankly I don't want to know what mess is that Britannian's head, but if there's anyone that could possibly reel him in, then it's our star peacemaker, Leila!" Ryo stated, cheerfully, sending her a toothy grin and a thumbs up. She was the one to offer him and his friends, the people, who attempted to kill her, a place to call home, after all.

"Doctor," Akito spoke up with an even tone of voice and a calm expression. "You may be right, but I wish to believe in the commander's decision." He stated firmly. "I know that she won't let us down."

"Oooh! I want in on the hype train as well!" Ashley declared enthusiastically, as he bumped fists with Ryo and laughed.

Slowly but surely, everyone voiced their approval of Leila's decision, even if they were afraid. Sophie let out a sigh of defeat, realizing that she waging a lost battle. She wanted to believe in Leila, she really did, but she simply couldn't see how she could fix a mental case like that.

Having somehow managed to drag himself to the room, which Leila provided for him, Julius was standing in front of the sink in the bathroom, his eye-patch discarded on the floor and his head covered in cold water, which still ran from the sink.

He panted heavily, taking large breaths, as he held the edges of the sink to support himself. Finally calmed down, he looked up at the mirror over the sink and frowned.

"Damn it!" Julius cursed, as he punched the glass, breaking it into millions of shards. He was furious with himself for actually almost completely losing control for a moment. And to top that all off, he had done it in front of people, who were spared the usual fate of those, which got to see this side of him.

Water dripped from his face, as he looked at the cracked glass and noticed that the red glow of his Geass was reflected by all the shards, making him frown, as he picked up his eye-patch and put it on. It was really a shame that he would have to kill all of them for seeing him like that, once his forces had conquered the castle and Shaing's head was presented to him on a platter. He would've gotten some useful assets too. "Oh, well." Julius muttered, regaining his composure. "There is always more rabble to replace them." Even though unwillingly, they had become a liability, which needed to be dealt with, lest they put him and his revenge at risk.

* * *

 **Just when you thought that this chapter was getting a little too light-hearted, we end on this dark note. Julius is a mental wreck, who Leila is gonna have to seriously butt heads with in next chapter, unless all of her unit is to die. I kinda wanted to give this impression that no matter how much a person starts to adapt to his surroundings and slowly change, it only takes so little to revert them back to their former self, so congrats Leila, you'll most likely get to play psychologist, who might end up dead from interviewing their patient. On a different note, I do believe that most of you were surprised by the fact that it was V.V who gave Shin his Geass and not some SPOOKI SKULL Geass head. Why is V.V the one, who gave Shin's Geass? Well, that question will remain to be answered further down the road. Speaking of answered questions, were you able to properly guess who was Nonette talking with over the phone a few chapters back? No? Then Rai's character reveal in this chapter surely blew you away. I'm gonna keep my mouth shut regarding him, simply to keep you wondering why the hell is he a knight of the Round. Welp, that was all from me this time around. I hope I'm able to finish next chapter before christmas, but if not, then it'll be most likely during the holidays. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Leave a review to share your thoughts on this chapter and I wish you an awesome day!**


	13. Memories of Hatred

**Whew, finally found some time to finish this. I know that it's been quite the while since I last updated, but my schedule is simply too cramped up lately. Anyway, enough of my excuses. Thank you for being patient and let us get on with the next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Memories of Hatred

* * *

 **Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon 2009 atb**

It was a bright day at the Britannian capital. A fake brightness, concealing the tension brewing at the royal palace. Inside the throne room, the emperor, Charles zi Britannia, stood seated on his throne, stern and emotionless as always, waiting for the one, who sought an audience with him. Many of the heads of noble families were also gathered before the emperor to bear witness to the event.

"Announcing, prince Lelouch vi Britannia, 17th heir to the royal Britannian imperial throne!" The announcer proclaimed the young prince's arrival into the throne room, as the nobles started whispering among themselves regarding the murder of empress Marianne.

The young black haired prince entered the throne room and walked in front of the throne. Standing straight and firm, the young boy greeted his father and immediately went down to business. "Hail your majesty, my mother, the empress is dead." Lelouch declared.

"Old news, what of it?" The emperor barely withheld his annoyed sigh.

The young prince, however, was shocked by the attitude his father was displaying. "What of it?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"You sought an audience with the emperor of Britannia to simply inform me of that?" Charles chastised the young prince, as he then looked to one of the guards next to him. "Send the next one in, I have no time for these childish games." He ordered, not wanting to deal with his son.

"But Father…!" Lelouch took a few steps forward, wanting to argue his point, as guards then were about to rush over to stop him, until the emperor signaled for them to stop, since the large doors to the throne room opened, revealing a new presence. Everyone turned to see the new arrival.

The exact lookalike of the prince already in the room, Julius vi Britannia made his way forward with a firm pace, concealing the many emotions currently raging within him with an emotionless mask on his face. The young prince needed to fix things before it was too late. It was obvious to say that he was infuriated by everything that had transpired, much like his twin. Not only was their mother killed, but their little sister, Nunnally, had been crippled and blinded, a state which both boys couldn't bare seeing their once cheerful and lively sister in. For Julius, however, it was an even harder case to swallow, since, unlike Lelouch, he knew that their father surely knew of the truth behind Marianne's assassination.

Julius had tried to persuade Lelouch to not request an audience with the emperor, for he knew that nothing good could possibly come out of it. Yet his brother wouldn't stand idly and think straight, he was too blinded by his anger, something which wasn't normally the case with the eleventh prince.

Knowing that it rested on his shoulders to somehow dissolve this situation, Julius was prepared to cast aside his own hatred towards the emperor, in the hope of saving Lelouch from the mistake he was about to make in his angered state. "Hail your majesty! I've come bearing a request." The young Julius declared, his face staying completely void of emotion, lest he got himself caught, as he walked over to the throne, standing a few feet behind Lelouch, who gazed at him incredulously.

"Oh?" The emperor raised an eyebrow, becoming mildly interested in the strange development, though he wasn't about to let these children waste his time. "I hope that it isn't a matter of the past that is already beyond settling, just like your brother dared to bring up." Charles stated firmly, making it clear that if the prince wanted to bring up the same theme, then they best leave.

"No, your majesty." Julius bowed to the emperor, gritting his teeth unnoticeably. He needed to shove his anger aside and resolve this issue, so that he could tell Lelouch the truth, even if he had to go about it in a rather blunt fashion. "I would like to request my brother's previous inquires and presence be removed from the imperial court." He stated his request, shocking Lelouch and making the emperor surprised. Julius needed to leave this place with his twin, before things could go seriously wrong. "I request that you do not bother with us further and let us leave."

"What are you doing?!" Lelouch exclaimed, completely stunned by his brother's uncaring behavior, as he turned towards him. "You can't just come here and act like what happened to mother and Nunnally is of no meaning!" Lelouch yelled at his twin, angry that he was as uncaring as their father, to whom Lelouch returned his attention. "Why didn't you keep her out of harm's way?!" He asked, frowning and demanding an answer. "You are the emperor, the greatest man in this nation, if not the entire world!" He declared, growing more and more frustrated. "You should've protected her! If you had, Nunnally wouldn't be hospitalized!"

"I have no use for that weakling." Charles replied with a scoff, angering Lelouch further, as his eyes widened in shock, while Julius endured, using every ounce of his will to contain his own rage for the man that was supposed to be their father refer to their little sister in such a manner.

"That weakling?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"To be strong is what it means to be royalty." Charles stated.

That final sentence broke the line. Lelouch wasn't going to stand for any of this. "Then I do not want to be your heir!" He yelled out, furious at this whole farce, shaking with anger. "I give up my claim to the throne!" He declared, shocking everyone present, not realizing that those words horrified his twin. "I'm sick of the fighting and scheming over who will succeed you father! I've had enough!" Lelouch continued his rebellion.

The emperor wasn't about to have a mere child hold such a tone with him. "You are dead." Charles stated, confusing Lelouch and frightening Julius. "You have always been dead to me. Dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine clothes you wear and comfortable home? Who gave you your very life? All of those I have given to you." The emperor spoke, while the two boys listened, Lelouch being with wide eyes, shocked by the harsh truth, while Julius persevered, keeping his head lowered to hide the growing anger in his eyes. "In short you are nothing to me because you have never existed! Yet you dare to speak such foolishness to me!?" The emperor stood up startling Lelouch, who fell on his butt and shocking Julius, who raised his head to look. Charles looked to the younger of the twins, having had enough of this. "Julius, your request cannot be fulfilled, because the brother you speak of doesn't exist. That is my final answer."

Julius was horrified by the statement, but endured, he couldn't show weakness or god knew how the situation could worsen. He gritted his teeth, hoping that it didn't come to anything worse, as he swallowed his pride. "Yes, your majesty." He replied bowing his head once more, which caused Lelouch to stare at him, feeling stabbed in the back by none other than his own twin brother. Lelouch shook with pure anger, as he rose to his feet, enraged that his brother was siding with the emperor.

"Lelouch, you are dead, therefore you are not entitled to any rights." The emperor declared. "I am sending you and Nunnally to Japan. As prince and princess, you will serve well as bargaining tools."

Lelouch slightly turned around to glare at the emperor. "Fine then!" He yelled out, as he couldn't stand to look at the despicable man that was his father and turned to leave, flinging his cloak to the ground in a demonstration of rejection of his father. Lelouch was furious, while Julius was concerned for his sibling and stood up from his position to exit the court with his twin. Then, to everyone's surprise, Lelouch sharply turned to his sibling, who was going to leave with him. The older twin punched Julius hard in the face, drawing blood from his twin's lips, sending the younger prince stumbling to the ground in dazed shock.

"I hate you!" Lelouch roared, his hand hurting a lot from the use of force he was never usually capable of, while Julius still recovered from the shock of the sudden punch. "Never show yourself before me or Nunnally again, selfish filth!" The older twin declared. "I hope your decision to play lapdog to the emperor and not care about your family haunts you for the rest of your pathetic excuse of a life!" Lelouch sneered at Julius, who was heart-broken by his brother's hurtful words and stared at him shocked. Lelouch left with a brisk pace, while the emperor gestured for the guards to stand back.

Julius stood up, his bangs covering his eyes, as he stared at the ground in silence. He could feel the sour taste of his own blood in his mouth, as he straightened himself to look proper before all of the people looking at him, their anticipation for his next action sinking in like daggers into the young prince. He couldn't show weakness in front of all these vultures that surrounded him, waiting for the opportunity where they could pray upon him. He hated this feeling of being looked down on as nothing more than a mere pebble on the road.

He turned around and bowed to the emperor, knowing that it was proper etiquette when exiting the throne room. "I am grateful for your time, your majesty." Julius said with an emotionless look and tone, ignoring the taste of blood and how it dripped down his chin. "I shall see myself out."

Greatly pleased with his second son's performance, the emperor spoke. "I want everyone present who bore witness to Lelouch's display of weakness to look carefully at the twelfth prince, who ignored the ramblings of a lesser being that pales to compare in strength. This is what it means to be royalty!" The emperor declared, gesturing to Julius, who turned to walk out, etching the eternal hatred for his father deep into the core of his soul, as the nobles in the court applauded the prince.

* * *

 **Castle Weisswolf**

"Ghuah!" Julius darted from his bed with a loud gasp, his breathing ragged and his body sweating profusely. The prince's right eye was open wide from the memory, as he tried to calm down his breathing. It would seem that his snap the previous day still got to him.

He was inside a regular room provided for the personnel of the W-0, dressed in nothing but his boxers and the bandages on his torso, sitting up on the bed, as he massaged his face with his hands. After his mental fit the previous day, he had opted to simply go to bed and hope that he would feel better tomorrow. Evidently, that wasn't the case, as he calmed down. That particular nightmare was of the ones he desperately wished not to remember. Back then, the punch from his brother had hurt, but not nearly as much as the blunt outright rejection thrown at his face. It only made him feel worse that he and Lelouch ended on awful terms and he wouldn't get the chance to set things straight.

Letting out a sigh, Julius rose from the bed, knowing that there was no chance that he would be able to fall back asleep, and proceeded to discard the bandages, which revealed that there wasn't even a trace of his wounds. Looking out through the window, he noticed that it was still early in the morning. Figuring that he had nothing better to do, he decided to take a bath to get himself clean and divert his thoughts from the jarring memory.

* * *

Waking up to her cat's fluffy head rubbing against her cheeks, Leila slowly opened her eyes, gaining an expecting meow from her cat, which was starting to get impatient with her owner, wanting its food. The blond girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes, as she stood up and stretched with a small yawn, which prompted the cat to continue meowing.

"Alright, Eliza," Leila muttered out, still sleepy, wanting her pet to quiet down just a little bit. She had stayed up all night yesterday, wondering on how to solve the problem with the Britannian prince that she had taken in. Needless to say, all of her efforts were for naught, as she couldn't come up with anything and had ended going to bed late.

The blue eyed girl rose from her bed and went over to give her cat its breakfast. Satisfying its hunger, Leila smiled at her pet, while she began to undress from her sleepwear, which consisted of a long light blue nightgown and went over to her closet to pick out her uniform.

Buttoning up her white shirt and pulling up her black high-heeled leggings, Leila's mind was divided between the enemy waiting for them outside the castle walls and the potential one within said walls. Putting on her black skirt, she picked up her blue and red jacket, gazing at her unit's emblem with a small smile, before putting the clothing on.

Tying her hair into the two buns she usually had, Leila stared at herself in the mirror, noticing that the tension of the situation was getting to her, for which she scolded herself. Even if it was tough, she had to be strong to ensure her friends' survival and to that end, she couldn't allow herself to falter. "Alright!" She slapped her cheeks with her hands to give herself a slight boost of adrenaline, ready to tackle the day.

* * *

Starting off his own day, Akito had gone to the infirmary to check on Yukiya's recovery, encountering Ayano, who had mostly stayed by the unconscious boy's side. The two had had a brief exchange, which ended with the blue haired teen bidding her goodbye, as he left.

Walking through the corridors of the castle, it wasn't wrong to say that the Japanese pilot was anxious about his next and most likely final encounter with his brother. Ever since he had been abandoned by his sibling and learned to live on his own, Akito had promised to himself that he would stop Shin, with that same promise eventually evolving into a desire to kill his brother, who caused his empty existence.

And yet, he no longer held that burning hatred. He had finally found his purpose. Akito now had people he cared for, people he wanted to protect and if he had to die to save them, then he'd be ready to do so at any moment. That was how much all of them meant to him, especially the one, who helped him overcome his desire to simply die off and turn it into a will to live and move forward. He owed Leila more than he could ever pay back.

Akito wasn't blind, he could see that his commander held feelings towards him. He was sincerely grateful that someone loved him, a person, who could have been considered a ghost for his empty presence and lack of will to live, but he wasn't ready to confess to her. The blue haired teen had gradually fallen for the blond girl, who always strove to see the best in people and bring that out, who brought everyone together as a family, but he couldn't tell her how he felt, not now. He couldn't bear the thought of the two of them confessing their feelings for each other and he suddenly losing his life on the battlefield, leaving Leila heartbroken. That was the reason he refused to allow himself to deepen his relationship with Leila. If fate smiled upon him, then he would surely return from battle alive once more and he would get his chance. But that was only an if.

Letting out a small sigh, Akito ended his train of thought, as he realized that he had ended up meeting with Julius, who was evidently walking around, for reasons the Japanese knew not. The two briefly locked gazes, with Akito noting that the prince's eye held a lot more pent up anger than before, but there was also something else in his gaze, covered beneath the hatred. Now this was another problem all together. While he trusted Leila's decision, Akito would not allow this Britannian prince to harm the people he cared about. With that said, however, he had promised her that he would try to be cordial with the prince.

"Good morning." Akito greeted the prince, who ignored him and strolled past him, not even sparing a word or a demeaning comment. Akito turned around, following Julius' trail with his eyes, as the prince walked away in utter silence, his cape fluttering behind him from his brisk pace. _It would seem that he doesn't want to be in anyone's presence._ The Japanese pilot thought, narrowing his eyes at the disappearing form of the prince.

Akito still remembered that time at Warsaw vividly. He remembered the nightmare he had experienced inside the cockpit of his Alexander, with all those ghosts of the deceased. The whole experience served for the Japanese to be extremely wary against the prince, for he was certain that he had a power similar to that of his brother's. His suspicions had been reignited, when he had caught him choking Leila for information regarding some power she had.

The matter of Leila possessing the same power as his brother greatly confused and intrigued Akito, as he couldn't help but wonder if the prince's claim was true, even though she had denied knowing of such a thing. Knowing that Leila wasn't one to tell lies, he believed her, but the circumstances regarding this strange power were weighing on his mind. He needed to know the truth. He needed to know why his brother ended up the way he did, but he had no clue where to look for answers.

* * *

At the Knightmare lab, Chloe and Hilda were hard at work on their computers, directing the construction machinery. Behind them, Anna lay on the couch covered with a blanket, sleeping. The two assistants had arrived in the morning to find her sleeping there, most likely having gone through an all-nighter on the new Knightmare they were building for Ashley. They were on a rather tight schedule, after all. The enemy could attack them at any moment and they needed to be prepared when the time came.

Having scrapped the parts of the Ahuramazda, they were redistributed between two projects. First was the upgrade of Akito's Alexander, which consisted of adding the Schrotter steel to its armor plating and integrating a Blaze Luminous shield on its left arm. The second was the new red Alexander model they were building from the parts of the Ahuramazda, having been named Red Ogre by Ashley himself.

The two Knightmares were at their respective docks, with mechanical welds and machinery working on them, while Julius' Caligula was in a separate dock to the side of them, the cables still attached to it, as the data for its systems was yet to be fully copied. With the machinery and tech surrounding them, Chloe and Hilda conversed with each other.

"That red haired gentleman and his red Knightmare really helped us a lot, my dear Hilda." Chloe said, as she held the newly made red activation key for the Red Ogre.

"I heard that his name is Ashley, my dear Chloe." Hilda smiled at her friend, as both of them turned to look at the sleeping Anna. "He caused a lot of trouble for the boss." She said, as the two of them watched the sleeping purple haired girl for a second. Their original task of repairing Julius' Knightmare had been a rather easy job to accomplish, from which they were then able to discover the advanced systems of Lloyd Asplund. The black Knightmare was like a gold mine of advanced data. Still, they lacked the resources to manufacture copies of the Maser Vibration Swords, but they at least had enough to try and recreate the Blaze Luminous on a small scale.

"Yeah." Chloe sighed in amusement. "Both Akito's customized model and the new Alexander needed their designs revised. Our Boss is really amazing." The orange haired girl said, marveling at Anna's dedication to her work.

* * *

 **Britannian base near Castle Weisswolf**

Two days had passed ever since Shin assumed full control and so far the Knights of St. Michael were making good progress in regrouping their forces. Knightmares were being repaired with all of the spare parts that could be found in preparation for the assault on the enemy castle. The rapid speed and organization of it all was astounding, to the point that the Britannians would be able to launch their attack at dawn of the next day.

Soldiers were chatting about, hanging around, but little did they know that they were being infiltrated, after all, why would the enemy come over all the way here, where they were going to be killed. It was that line of thinking that allowed Ashley Ashra to effortlessly slide through the base's lacking defenses and head towards the person he needed to visit, as he continued sneaking.

Inside her cabin, Jean had just taken a shower and had put on her towel. Ever since they left the prince for dead with the enemy, Shin's state of being had been weighing heavily on the red haired knight. However, her train of thought was quickly altered, when she heard someone enter her room, becoming on high alert. Taking out a pistol from the drawer in the bath, she jumped out of the bath, side rolling and pointing her gun at the intruder. Needless to say, she was very surprised by the identity of the person before her.

Crunching on some chips that he had found lying on the desk, Ashley was sitting on Jean's bed and smirked at her, raising his hand to greet her. "Yo!" He said, as if the current situation was perfectly normal.

"Ashley?!" Jean exclaimed in surprise and anger, as she rose to her feet, keeping her gun pointed at his forehead. She also noticed another very irritating thing. "Why are you wearing their uniform?" She hissed at him, though the orange haired man ignored it.

"I have something to tell you." Ashley told his former ally, looking at her, noticing her wet hair and towel.

"What is it?" Jean asked him, growing curious and suspicious, since she couldn't figure out why he had come here.

"You know, we are very similar." Ashley said, as he began to ruffle through the chips once more. "We were both abandoned by our parents when we were babies and then adopted by Lord Shaing." He said, as he took a bite from one of the chips.

"That's why we should…" Jean argued with him, not wanting to actually have to go through with killing him for betrayal, but her former colleague interrupted her.

"But he's changed." Ashley cut her off, scrunching the empty chips bag in his hands. "It's as if he's possessed by something sinister." He said, tossing the scrunched up bag from hand to hand. "Something like… the Reaper." He turned to Jean, noting her surprised expression, which proved that she too had her doubts towards Shin. He threw the bag in the air, with it landing perfectly in the waste bin near the desk, as he resumed. "However, there's still someone who wants to save him from it." The orange haired knight said, as he rose from his seat and walked towards the door, while Jean kept her aim on him. "They're blood after all."

Jean quickly understood that Ashley was talking about Shin's younger brother. "You mean Akito Hyuga?" She asked, confused.

"Jean," Ashley began, but then stopped himself, scratching his head with a small smile. "or should I call you Jeanne, your original name?" He said, surprising the red haired female, as he then turned towards her, putting on the cloak he had used to help himself sneak in. "So Jeanne, I suggest you give him a hand." He said, noticing her doubt filled face. "Aside from Akito, I don't think there's anyone else, who can save Shin Hyuga from his own darkness." He said, as he made his way towards the door, leaving Jean to contemplate on his words.

Jean looked down at the ground, knowing full well that Ashley's words rung of truth, since she too had noticed the erratic change in Shin, but she had stayed silent and supported him, hoping that it would go away. And yet, here she was, forced into this crossroad. She needed to choose between Shin's mad ambitions or her own heart, a choice which she knew she was almost out of time to make. "Ashley, I…" She turned around, noting that her former colleague had long since left, making her let out a defeated sigh.

* * *

Back at the castle, Julius had managed to find a spot where he could think in peace, not having to worry for anyone walking in on him. He stood outside, surrounded by lush spring-time greenery and the sound of flowing water from the small lake near the castle. Having made the trek to the other side of the lake on purpose, he now stood facing towards the castle, staring the large structure down.

Everything was in serene silence, as Julius closed his eye and allowed his thoughts to flow and his senses sharpen. He could make out the occasional rustling sounds made by a squirrel or fox, as he stood in silent meditation. He needed to be calm and collected, strong and resilient like always. It was the only way he would be able to move forward, lest he crumbled down completely. Sheer determination was the only thing that was able to keep him on his feet and as long as he had his goal, it didn't matter how many times he stumbled.

He raised his gloved hands and opened his eye to look at them. Even though he looked perfect like always, the prince could only see blood on his hands. There had been a time when he had felt unsettled and even horrified to a degree of murdering someone, but those feelings had been dulled and muted out. He had stopped caring how many he killed a long time ago and the corpses were piling up and the sea of blood accompanying them rising. It was only a matter of time until he drowned.

And yet, when he occasionally asked himself if it was all worth it, if the innocent had to suffer for the deaths of his family and for the sake of his vengeance, the prince always reached the same answer. "If we had to suffer, then with what are others so special that they do not deserve to?" He spoke out loud, his face remaining emotionless, until he smiled madly and started chuckling to himself. Selfish, his whole drive and ambition were utterly selfish, just like Lelouch had condemned him of being. And now when faced with the current reality, Julius could only laugh that his brother was right.

Julius had no excuse, there was nothing with which he could justify his selfish thirst for vengeance, nothing that made it seem like the right thing to do. Even so, he wasn't someone who needed to justify his actions. He was a proud prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the only one in control was himself. Shin had called him a scared child, something which the prince would never see himself as, which made him blind towards what others saw.

Calming down his laughter, Julius looked at his reflection in the lake, but his eye narrowed when he saw the reflection of the castle, as he raised his head to glare at it. This whole place was becoming a thorn in his sight. From the Elevens to Leila's optimistic naivety, everything irritated him to no end. _Why are they so happy?_ He thought, as he ground his teeth in anger. He couldn't and didn't want to understand how these people were able to seemingly ignore the cruel reality of the world, especially Leila. It infuriated him to no end, that someone like her was able to have such a positive outlook on life. He simply couldn't fathom what it was that Leila Breisgau saw. Or perhaps it was that he hated how happy everyone else seemed around him, while he was stuck in his own living hell.

He chuckled, shaking his head from side to side. "It doesn't matter." He smirked mockingly towards the castle, as he raised his hand forward, making it as if he was holding the structure in his palm. "All of them will be disposed of in due time." Julius chuckled, clutching his hand into a fist. _Let Breisgau believe in me._ He thought to himself with a sick smile, as he began walking towards the castle. _It will only make their deaths that much easier._

* * *

Back at the castle, Leila was in her office, overviewing the plan for the Britannian onslaught. She sat on her desk, letting out an exhausted sigh. She had spent the entire morning on them, making sure that she found a solution to any possible mistake that might occur. However, even with the enemy's diminished numbers, she knew far too well that they wouldn't be able to last long if a confrontation were to happen. Not to mention that she had to rely on Julius to stop his soldiers. Everything was a gamble, which she had to wager.

The blond commander was worried about the britannian prince's will to go through with the plan and she couldn't help but wonder if he would stab them in the back. She really wished to trust him and she wanted to believe that everything would be alright. She was going to blindly offer the fates of herself and her unit to a person she hardly knew.

Leila let out another sigh, as she massaged the sides of her head. She had gotten herself in a serious predicament once again. She was taken out of her thoughts, when she heard someone knocking on the door. Curious as to who it might be, she slightly raised her voice. "It's open." She said, as she was then surprised to see Akito enter.

"Excuse me." Akito entered, closing the door behind himself. Leila looked at him curiously, noticing that he was carrying Ayano's kodachi with himself.

"Hello, Akito." She greeted him with a smile, receiving a small smile in return from the blue haired Japanese. "Did you wish to talk or can I help you with something?" Leila asked, eager to spend time with him. She always felt her heart skip a beat when she looked at his charming blue eyes, though she noted that he had an uneasy expression on himself, as he walked over to her.

"Commander…" Akito said, noting that he had her full attention. He took out the kodachi from its sheath, putting the sheath down on the desk, and grabbed hold of his braid, angling the blade towards it. "may I ask you a favor?" He asked, as Leila kept her curious and confused eyes glued on him, as he cut off his braid in a swift cut. He looked at Leila and smiled at her, as he handed her the severed hair. "Can you keep this for me?" He smiled at her, while she remained confused.

"What do you mean?" Leila asked, slightly off-put by the situation. She didn't understand what was going on, as she gazed back down at the tied piece of blue hair.

"In the coming battle…" Akito said, searching for the words to make it easier on her. "It's highly probable that my body will burn itself out." He said, handing her the braid, as she took it solemnly in her hands. He knew that that reality existed and if it came to pass, then he wanted Leila to at least have something to remember him by.

Leila was saddened to hear his words, for she knew that they rung of truth. "Nevertheless, I want you to come back alive." She replied, distressed, as she brought the braid closer to herself and looked Akito in the eyes, making his features sadden. Knowing that she could truly lose him hurt Leila. She hadn't even gotten her chance yet. She held her voice together, as she felt that it would crack from the pressure. "I have…" She said, almost whispering, her voice sounding meek, as her cheeks turned beet red and she took a step back to support herself. "I have something important that I haven't talked to you." Leila said, as she steeled herself. "For this reason, I want you to promise to come back alive with all of our comrades." She begged him, feeling tears starting to form in her eyes, threatening to overflow.

Akito felt his chest tighten, as he took in the sight before him. "I promise, Leila." He smiled at her, not wanting to see her in tears.

* * *

At the castle's infirmary, Ayano remained seated, watching over Yukiya's unconscious form. The brown haired boy lay bandaged in the bed with a respiratory device strapped to his face, providing him with much needed oxygen. The only sound filling the room was the beeping from the medical equipment and Yukiya's light breaths.

"Yukiya, you idiot." Ayano muttered silently, holding the unconscious boy's hand for assurance that he wasn't alone. The doctors had said that the operation was successful and that Yukiya would wake up once his body had recovered, but all of that wasn't enough to put the Japanese girl at ease. She had lost too many people close to her to be willing to let go of another.

The black haired girl was taken out of her thoughts by Ryo's arrival, as she heard the doors sliding open, revealing the Japanese young man, dressed in his W-0 uniform, to enter the room with a worried expression.

"Yo, Ayano." Ryo calmly greeted her, as he glanced over to Yukiya.

"He's still asleep, Ryo." Ayano told her friend, knowing that he was just as concerned as her. She, however, noticed that there was something else bothering him. "What's wrong?"

Ryo let out a sigh, putting his hands in his pockets, but kept his serious expression. "I came to tell you that we're going to be facing the enemy tonight at earliest, based on Ashley's report." The Japanese said, making Ayano's eyes fill with worry. "Akito said that Leila and the Britannian have agreed to draw a cease fire until Akito's brother is dealt with."

"Do you think that guy is gonna keep his end of the deal?" Ayano asked Ryo, not trusting the prince, knowing that no good could possibly come from associating with someone from the imperial family. "Ryo, what if he goes back on his word like he did at Warsaw?"

"If that happens, then we're screwed." Ryo admitted, realizing that there was no way out now. Their fate rested in the hands of the unstable prince. As much as he wanted to hate the britannian, Ryo couldn't deny that there was something more to him. He could only hope that Leila's judgement wouldn't let them down. "But if Leila wishes to trust him, then I'm going to do the same. We owe her at least that much." He said.

"Yeah, you're right." Ayano said, lowering her gaze. She remembered how much hatred she held towards Leila for wishing to use them as disposable pawns. Looking back at it now, she was really glad to have been proven wrong and got to learn who the blond girl was. She wished to deny it, but Leila's optimism and friendliness had rubbed off on her, as she began to see Leila more like a sister to look up to. "She wouldn't let us down." Ayano nodded with a content smile.

Ryo smiled back, as he then turned to the sleeping Yukiya. "You hear that, Yukiya?" He said. "You should wake up soon, so we can all be together again." Ryo said, as he walked over to him. "It's not the same without you, buddy, so get your rest and be well." He smirked and turned to leave, waving at Ayano for goodbye, who returned the gesture. With his back now turned to her, Ayano couldn't see the fire burning in Ryo's eyes to protect his friends.

* * *

Nighttime had fallen and at the Britannian HQ, the Knights of St. Michael were finally finishing with their siege preparation. In the next hour, their whole force would be ready for deployment, as Knightmares were amassed and primed for combat. The soldiers, anticipating their chance to prove their loyalty to their nation, were all part of this organized effort, which if it hadn't been for their discipline and pride would've taken ages to finish. This was a true testament to the sheer driving force that each Britannian soldier carried.

Having received a report from Jean that his army was battle ready, Shin Hyuga Shaing currently made his way towards his Vercingetorix. His Knights saluted and stood at attention when the grandmaster passed, as he neared his golden machine. The blue haired man used the activation key of his Knightmare, making it knee down and its cockpit hatch open for him to enter.

All of his troops noticed that their commander was in a joyful mood, as he had a clear smile of amusement on his face. They watched as Shin entered the golden Knightmare, its hatch closing behind him and the mechanical centaur rising up, its eyes lighting up. The Vercingetorix was ready to lead into battle.

"All troops, begin siege assembly at once." Shin ordered with a sick smile through his coms, watching in great delight as all of the soldiers entered their Knightmares, all the while the Geass in his left eye glowing brightly.

The Sutherlands and Gloucesters were all equipped with their energy filler and weaponry. The machines began marching through the forest in the dead of night, slowly and steadily advancing towards the enemy castle.

* * *

At the W-0 base, all personnel were up and alert on their stations, preparing for the enemy. Inside the dark control room, everyone was at their positions, with the only light eliminating the room coming from all of the computers and giant digital map in front. Standing in her command post, Leila gazed forward with firm eyes, as the time of battle soon approached them.

She held her head high, as her friends continued to ensure that the castle's defense systems were prepared and ready. Her gaze shifted from Sarah and Olivia, who activated the security protocol of the cannons that were stashed on the outer wall, to Sophie and her assistants, making sure that the BRS link was functional and steady. She saw Anna, along with Hilda and Chloe, check on the Alexanders' conditions once more.

Her blue eyes then turned to Claus, who was visibly nervous, even though he was trying to hide it. "Lt. col." She called out to him, gaining his attention and seeing his nervous eyes. "Everything will be alright." Leila smiled at her second in command, knowing that right now everybody needed as much morale as they could.

The middle aged man chuckled dryly and offered a smile in return. "Who am I to argue with the commander?" He joked in light manner.

Reassured that she had succeeded in bringing up his mood, returned to her own screen to check through all the information again. However, she heard the mechanical door slide open, which caused everyone in the room to fall silent, making her curious. Leila heard the footsteps of the person that had just entered, having a clear idea of who just entered and turned around to face the newly arrived.

"Is there something wrong, your highness?" Leila asked the prince in black and gold, who was eyeing the room with mild curiosity, as he approached her.

"I was bored and decided to take a walk to kill some time before the battle begins." Julius noted, sending a smirk towards Leila, who frowned, not liking that he didn't take their situation seriously. He ignored this and looked at the tactical map. "So," He crossed his arms, his tone even. "I'm curious as to how you have prepared to tackle my soldiers." He inquired, noticing the utter lack of troops being stationed near the outer wall.

Leila scowled at him, but kept her comments to herself. "We've deployed the small force of Alexanders we have to protect the territory between the outer wall and the castle's gates." She said, the map indicating as such. She turned to him and locked eyes with the prince, who raised an eyebrow. "I think that you are well aware that for us to keep bloodshed to a minimum, you must order your troops to stand down, once they make it through the wall." Leila told the prince, wanting to reassure that their deal was still in place. If not, then she would have to take matters in her own hands right here and now, before it was too late.

"Heh." Julius chuckled to himself, before he shot Leila an amused look and smile. "But of course. As we agreed, you and all of your subordinates will be free to go, once Shin Hyuga has been killed." He grinned, making Leila a little uncomfortable, while everyone else in the room shuddered from the tone of his voice. Openly lying, he perfectly concealed his intentions with a small delighted smile. "I'll be heading to my Knightmare shortly." Julius spoke, small unnoticed hints of joy in his voice, as he sharply turned to leave, his cape flailing in the air briefly.

"I appreciate this, prince Julius." Leila smiled, as she watched him leave, putting her trust in the britannian prince.

Hearing this, a wicked smirk placed itself on Julius' lips, as he exited out of the room. _Poor naïve girl. You have no idea._ He thought, as the door shut behind him.

* * *

In the forests, Shin's troops had assembled to attack the castle from the south east. Sutherlands and Gloucesters were on standby along with a few Canterburry heavy artillery units and infantry, comprised of squads of armed soldiers. At the far back of the formation, the Vercingetorix stood, next to it a silver and red Sutherland. The night was cold, as the timer ticked.

Inside her Sutherland, Jeanne's eyes were solely placed on the timer, swallowing her nervousness and waiting for the time to attack. The Vercingetorix took a few steps forward and planted its axe into the ground with a heavy slam and shotgun in its other hand.

Inside his cockpit, Shin smirked. "Well then, it's time." He said, as he leaned back in his pilot seat and the timer hit zero.

"All forces, commence operation!" Jeanne ordered, through the coms.

The Knightmares engaged their land-spinners and drove forward through the forest.

"Show that boy our pride as Knights of Michael!" Brondello declared proudly, as his Knightmare advanced alongside his comrades.

"Of course!" Scholtz replied, as the three swordmasters took the helm of the charge. "Dore, I'll take the lead!" Scholtz said, his Knightmare going ahead of his comrades.

"We are counting on you, Scholtz!" Dore sent off his friend, proud in his valor.

The Canterburry artilleries were also slowly advancing, accompanied by Sutherlands equipped with shields to act as guards for the mobile cannon. The first to stop was a unit, which was closest to the wall. The Sutherlands stood off to the sides and covered themselves with their shields, while the artillery charged. The Canterburry fired its first energy blast, which slammed against the huge metal wall, it's frequency distorting till it disappeared with the wall withstanding the first blast.

* * *

Inside the control room, Leila's eyebrows twitched slightly from the noise, which signaled that they were officially under attack, as the others worked tirelessly to ensure that the wall's magnetic shield was functional.

* * *

Another artillery fire was sent towards the wall, but it withstood the blast once more. Seeing this, the knights understood that they were still too far away for the Canterburry's attack to work.

"Dammit, we can't break through the wall!" One of them cursed.

"Canterburry forward!" Brondello ordered. "Let's go into close range!"

"Forward!" The knights chanted, as their Knightmares' shields elongated, covering the whole front of the machines. The squad advanced forward, with the Knightmares standing in front to protect the artillery cannon.

* * *

"Hurry up the videos!" Claus ordered, knowing that the enemy had arrived.

"I'm on it!" Olivia replied, as she was then finally able to bring out the video feed from the wall, with Leila and Claus glancing to the screen.

"Alright," Sarah said, as she glanced at the statistics she received. "It's at 8 o'clock and 250 meters away!" She reported, as the video showed the advancing Canterburry.

Leila frowned at the sight of the weapon, as she then heard Olivia report. "Counterattack ready!"

* * *

On the outside of the wall, some of the steel coated panels opened, revealing a swarm of anti-Knightmare machine guns mounted on the walls. The automated weapons took aim and opened fire at the advancing squadron.

"There's fire from the wall!" One of the soldiers yelled in distress, as his Knightmare covered itself with its shield, slowly pushed back by the rapid gunfire.

"Get closer! Keep formation!" The squad struggled against the barrage. "Protect Canterburry's legs!" The Knightmares surrounded the mobile canon, forming a shield in front of it.

Behind them, another group of Sutherlands opened fire at the turrets, attempting to get close. One of the Knightmares had its leg shot off, but Brondello approached with his Gloucester.

"Hang tight!" The swordmaster said, grabbing the machine of his comrade with his own to carry him to safety. "Let's fall back." However, just as he picked up the injured Knightmare, a shotgun round went through the pilot's cockpit, killing the soldier, much to Brondello and everyone else's shock.

The culprit had been Shin himself, his Vercingetorix standing at the far back of the formation, taking aim with its shotgun. "You shall not fall back." Shin said, displeased. "Or I'll shoot you from here." He said, taking aim once again to emphasize his point.

Brondello was shocked by their leader's cruelty. "Shaing!" He growled. "How dare you!"

"Aren't you going to show me your pride of chivalry?" Shin taunted the man, knowing that there was nothing that he could do, as more and more Sutherlands were taken down by the turrets on the wall. "They are your own words, right?" Shin asked with a sinister smirk, as the Geass appeared in his right eye along with the left. "Brondello, the Great Sword?"

The turrets on the wall continued their barrage on the Britannian units, as the latter returned fire, destroying the cannons. Having charged another shot, the Canterburry let out it's blast, slamming in the exact same space it had hit before to wear the wall down. The blast hit and with being fired from a closer position was able to leave a dent in the giant steel wall.

* * *

This change didn't go unnoticed by the W-0 command center, as they were immediately informed that the wall would soon be compromised.

"Block A23 damaged!" Olivia reported.

* * *

Sutherlands drove over to the wall, its turrets having been taken out. The Knightmares activated their slash-harkens, which were used as grappling hooks, and began scaling the wall.

* * *

"Block A18 has climbers!" Sarah reported.

Leila frowned. When they had discussed their strategy, Julius had explicitly said to make the wall as grueling a challenge as possible for the soldiers. He had said that if they were indeed unable to get past it, then it was no point in him to waste his time with them. This angered Leila, but she knew that there was truth to the prince's words. A soldier who wasn't capable in battle eventually met their end. "Blow them off." She said, her voice and expression gravely serious.

* * *

As the Sutherlands were scaling the wall, some of the outer panels detonated the bombs inside them, blowing away the Knightmares, making the fall to the ground, killing their pilots from the fall.

"We can't advance anymore!" One of the soldiers reported to the others. "Signals from Alpha team lost!" the soldier reported, before more turret fire took him out.

Everyone saw the challenge in front of them and knew that they would most likely not make it through this alive. Even so, they were Britannian soldiers. Retreat would be dishonorable for them and their fatherland.

"I doubt we can break into their castle alive." Dore noted nervously.

"Dore," Scholtz called over from his own Gloucester. It had been loaded with large explosives and rose to its feet. "My squad will make an opening for you!" The swordmaster told his comrade, knowing that he would be sacrificing his life for the sake of his allies' victory. "Then you can break through!"

"Thank you!" Dore replied, knowing that this was the glorious send off every soldier deserved. "Please wait for us with Lord Manfredi!" He said, bidding his final words to his friend.

"I'm looking forward to our reunion in the other world." Scholtz said, casting aside the last bit of nervousness. "Fare thee well!" He bid his comrades goodbye and charged forwards as fast as his Knightmare could.

Dodging the turret fire, Scholtz was able to make it right to the crack in the wall and with a thunderous war cry he drove straight into it, as the bombs detonated, creating a massive explosion, which shock the whole castle.

* * *

Feeling the tremors, Leila's eyes widened in shock as to the fact that the enemy was able to break through the energy barrier that coated the steel wall.

"Block A23 suffered an explosion!" Sarah reported. "Barrier destroyed!"

* * *

Watching all of this, Jeanne was awed by her fellow knights' resolve to see this through. She wished to take her words back, acknowledging their chivalry and honor. However, her lord's opinion of the matter shook her from her thoughts.

"See?" Shin asked her with a delighted tone and a mad grin on his face, his Geass glowing sinisterly. "Suicide attack is best suited for those simple-minded boars!" He laughed.

A hole having been created, the soldiers pushed forward.

"Let's break through!" Dore lead the charge, intent on honoring his friend's noble sacrifice. "Castle in sight! Let's go!" He declared, as his squadron passed the wall and headed for the enemy base.

* * *

"Enemy Knightmares have broken through the old gate!" Olivia reported, distressed. "They are now inside the castle!"

Leila narrowed her eyes, knowing that they still needed to lure Shin inside.

* * *

The Sutherlands advanced forward at high speeds, driving through the old streets of the castle. They were surrounded by the old structures, which unknown to them housed many traps.

"Head for their command center!" One of the knights said, as he and his comrades charged forward.

Dore, however, had a bad feeling and decided to trust his instinct, bringing his Knightmare to a halt, only to watch what happened next. He watched as part of his squadron was impaled on trap spikes with nets of steel wires that emerged from the ground, no doubt one of the enemy's defense systems.

"We are blocked!" One of Dore's surviving soldiers noted.

"Rescue our comrades!" Dore ordered, as his free soldiers took out their battle axes and began to cut through the wires. "Dammit, how do we move on?" Dore cursed, knowing that there were surely more traps laid for them up ahead.

* * *

As the Britannians made their way through the spike field, Leila decided to proceed with their own offensive.

"W-0 squad, prepare for counter attack." Leila ordered.

Sarah turned on her coms. "Capt. Hyuga prepare for launching!"

At the hangar, the trio of Akito, Ryo and Ashley were waiting for their deployment orders inside their Knightmares and had finally received them.

Inside his Alexander Red Ogre, Ashley stretched and smirked. "My skill won't be wasted with this." He said, delighted by his new toy.

Ryo was in his own Alexander Valiant, but was having trouble. "Why is piloting a new model?!" He asked outraged, wanting to have a custom unit for himself as well.

"It's none of your business." Ashley taunted him.

"What did you say?!" Ryo growled back.

Enjoying his friends banter, Akito silently activated his white and purple armored Alexander Liberte, it's green eyes lighting up.

* * *

The Sutherlands continued to cut through the steel nets, until they finally came into the firing range of Oscar and his unit of Alexanders, who opened fire at them from above one of the buildings, using it for cover.

"Ambush! They're above us!" The Britannian soldiers reported, as they took for cover and opened return fire. "Spread out!"

The Sutherlands engaged in a firefight with the small squad of Alexanders, which soon found themselves overrun, as more Britannians arrived to aid their comrades.

"All units, fall back and spread out!" Oscar ordered his men, as the group of Alexanders dispersed and disappeared from sight.

Knowing that this street would most likely be their hiding spot, the Britannian Knights took a turn and entered another street, advancing steadily. It was silent for the first few seconds, which unnerved most of the soldiers, until a group of three Knightmares appeared out of nowhere and began to massacre them.

"It's another ambush!" Yelled one of the knights, alerting his allies, as he was shot down by the machine gun of Ryo's blue and orange Alexander.

With its new upgraded chassis and framework, Akito's Alexander Liberte ran up to the building next to it and used the momentum by jumping from the wall, landing right on top of a Sutherland, which's head he then severed with his Knightmare's katana and kicked the enemy unit away in a graceful fashion. The new Alexander Liberte had purple Schrotter Steel armor over its white frame and a Blaze Luminous system on its left hand's wrist mounted shield. It also had two High Speed Propulsion Wings on the sides of the cockpit to further increase the Knightmare's speed.

The Alexander Liberte ran forward and plunged its blade through the downed Sutherland's cockpit and opened fire at an approaching enemy unit with the Assault Rifle in its other hand. The white and purple Knightmare took out its katana from its defeated foe, the Alexander's threatening presence looming on the battlefield. Akito Hyuga had entered the battle.

The rest of the Sutherlands opened return fire, targeting Ryo's Alexander, which had taken cover behind the corner of a building and was raining down on them with its machine gun. The Britannian Knightmares quickly got shield units at the front of the formation to provide cover for their allies from the blue Alexander's fire, only for a third europian Knightmare to enter the fray.

The Knightmare was the Red Ogre, which possessed an additional set of limbs that it used while in Insect Mode. Its weapons included a pair of Heat Swords, a Heat Knife, and the "Judgement Mk2" Assault Rifle. It also had multiple additional ammo cartridges stored at various points on the frame along with shoulder pod missiles that could home on enemies. In his Alexander Red Ogre, Ashley charged straight for the enemy, using his machine's superior agility and speed to jump in the air, its twin Heat swords brandished, and landed with a threatening presence on the street.

The red Knightmare charged forward cutting through every enemy that attempted to intercept its charge. The Red Ogre stampeded straight through the shielding Sutherlands, using its bulky armor to stomp down its enemy and proceeded to slice in half an incoming enemy unit.

"I am Ashley Ashra!" Ashley declared boisterously, savoring the thrill of battle. "Anyone who dares to challenge me, just come on!" The orange haired knight taunted.

The Britannian knights began to mount their counterattack. "We're facing the Ghost of Hannibal!" One of the soldiers reported to his comrades, which made Dore frown, having heard Ashley's taunt. The swordmaster knew not why a Knight of St. Michael was on the enemy's side, but he wouldn't back down from an open challenge to his pride.

"Are you that Ashley from Ashra squad?" Dore questioned, frowning. "Well then, let's crush you!"

The Sutherlands moved in, carrying shields and opening fire with their assault rifles. The three Alexanders were ready and waiting.

"They took your bait!" Ryo said, as he activated his machine gun once more, unleashing it on his new targets.

"How brave of them!" Ashley exclaimed, thrilled, as he charged in again under Ryo's cover fire. The Red Ogre went straight in the midst of the enemy's ranks and began to cut down all of them one by one.

Not to be outdone, Akito advanced as well, his Knightmare running at speeds the enemy were unable to counteract. The Alexander Liberte activated its Blaze Luminous on its left arm to protect itself from incoming gunfire and expertly slashed and stabbed through every Sutherland in its path.

Massively outnumbered, Ryo found himself surrounded by Dore and some of his soldiers. The swordmaster made his Gloucester slash forward with one of its blades, but missed the blue and orange Alexander, which jumped to the side and dashed back to make some distance between itself and the enemy, whilst evading enemy gunfire. The three Alexanders continued their raid on the enemy squad, with Ashley activating the tracking missiles in his Knightmare's shoulders, destroying the enemy units' limbs, rendering them useless. A single Sutherland attempted to flank Akito, shooting him from behind, but the blue haired Japanese quickly activated his unit's land spinners, along with the propulsion wings on its cockpit, accelerating at lightning fast rates, and dashed to the Britannian unit, slashing through it with a single slice of his katana.

Just then, a strange feeling welled up in Akito, which gave him pause. His blue eyes narrowed and his hands tightened their grip around the Knightmare controls. "He's coming!" Akito exclaimed, informing his two comrades.

Just as he had said, the golden Vercingetorix was stampeding its way through the forest in its four legged mode. Its approach was quickly detected by the W-0 base's sensors.

"One single enemy Knightmare approaching at a very high speed!" Olivia reported, as she hurried to sort through the data.

"Where's the video?" Claus ordered.

"One second!" Sarah replied, working as fast as she could. "Alright!" She exclaimed as she brought up the video feed of the approaching enemy unit. "It's that quadruped enemy Knightmare!"

Leila frowned upon seeing Shin finally entering the battlefield, knowing that from here on it was Akito and Julius' jobs to put an end to all of this. She silently prayed that Akito would be alright.

* * *

The Vercingetorix continued its advance, bypassing the ruined outer wall and making his way towards his younger brother's location. "All forces, break into the castle and take their command center!" Shin ordered with a malicious grin on his face, as his Knightmare jumped over the small building in front of it, proceeding forward along the street littered with spikes that had impaled some of his troops. The golden Knightmare quickly maneuvered through the sprung trap, using its SDA axe to slash through any obstacle in its path.

Akito quickly became on high alert, when catching a glimpse of the fast approaching Vercingetorix, as he kicked away a Sutherland that approached him and shot it with his riffle. Then, the Alexander Liberte proceeded to intercept the charge of the golden Knightmare, clashing its katana with the enemy unit's axe. Breaking from the clash, Shin found himself flanked by Ashley in his Red Ogre, but easily sidestepped his slash.

"Shaing, you coward!" Ashley yelled at his former leader, as he continued to pursue the golden Knightmare, only for it to use the surface of one of the spikes to jump behind him.

"Ashley, isn't it?" Shin chuckled, as his Knightmare took out its shotgun and proceeded to fire at the red Knightmare, which deflected the shots with its blades, only for Shin to charge straight at him with his SDA axe. The slash connected, making the Red Ogre drop one of its heat blades, as it entered its insect mode to put some distance between them. "Looks like you got a Knightmare as their handout." Shin grinned with the Geass in his eyes glowing, as the Vercingetorix jumped on top of one of the buildings, luring the orange haired knight.

"Quit mocking me!" Ashley yelled out, as he chased after Shin.

"This is bad, Akito!" Ryo exclaimed, trying to get in a position where he had a clear aim at Shin, while Akito hurried to help Ashley. "He's breaking through!"

Having crawled up to the roof of the old building, Ashley relentlessly searched for his opponent. "Shaing, you coward! Show yourself!" He taunted, only for the Vercingetorix to jump down from the next floor behind him, forcing the Red Ogre to block with its blades at the last minute, which allowed the Golden Knightmare to push him back.

"I shall kill you as well." Shin hissed, as Ashley continued to dodge his wide slashes with the SDA axe. The two Knightmares exchanged blows, with the Alexander maneuvering around the golden behemoth that was the Vercingetorix to not fall victim to its strength. "Just go to the other world and wait for your friends." Shin chuckled, as their Knightmares clashed once more. "Take my parting gift!" He yelled out.

Ashley frowned, growing furious at the implication that if they were to fail in stopping Shin, he would then kill his friends. "You bastard!" Ashley yelled, as he was pushed back further.

Before it could slash again with its axe, the Vercingetorix jumped back to dodge Ryo's fire. "Ashley, you're too close to him!" Ryo yelled at his comrade, as he fired his machine gun at the golden Knightmare.

The Vercingetorix charged forward, dodging the gunfire, and jumped in the air to intercept the incoming Alexander Liberte, clashing weapons with it, as the two Knightmares landed on the higher roof. The two brothers proceeded to exchange blows with each other, their weapons clashing countless times.

"Brother, what do you seek through this battle?!" Akito asked his older sibling, wishing to try one last time to reason with him, even though he knew that his brother was far beyond the saving point. The Alexander dodged a shot from the Vercingetorix's shotgun then parried a blow from its axe.

The two Knightmares continued to exchange fierce blows. "I fight because my objective is to destroy the world, Akito!" Shin grinned, as his Knightmare changed into two legged mode and attempted to run the Alexander Liberte through with its axe. "You need to die, Akito!" Shin said, as his axe was blocked by the Blaze Luminous of his younger brother's Knightmare. He wasn't going to allow his younger sibling's rebellious intentions to go unpunished. "Destroy the world and die!" He laughed, as the Geass in his two eyes shone.

Hearing Shin's words, Akito was taken ahold from his brother's Geass, as he could feel it trying to bend his will.

* * *

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the black and golden Britannian Knightmare stood on top of one the old large stone gates of the castle, far from view of anyone else. It's crimson red cape flailed in the air as the wind blew and its red visor glowed. Sitting in his Knightmare's cockpit, Julius was impatiently tapping with the fingers of his right hand, while his head rested on his other arm, his expression bored.

"Uhhh," Julius groaned, getting tired of making himself wait, while his Geass gently glittered. "I can't believe I had to put on this drab piece of cloth." He complained to himself, displeased with the fact that he was wearing the W-0 pilot uniform inside his Knightmare, not having wanted to possibly ruin his favorite clothing again. His eyepatch was placed in one of the side panels.

The prince was watching the tactical map on his screen, which had been synched with the W-0's own systems, allowing him to not only view his own forces, but the Europian Knightmares as well. His eyes narrowed dangerously, as his gaze shifted to the Knightmare signatures of Shin and Akito. A small smirk placed itself on his face. He had promised to give the two brothers some time for themselves. "Heh."

In the meantime, he would occupy himself with the matter of his army. "I guess I gave them enough time." Julius chuckled, as he grabbed the controls of his Caligula. The black Knightmare activated its land spinners and drove forward, jumping from the gate and activating its slash-harkens, which acted as grappling hooks for it to pull itself further towards the second wave of Britannian soldiers that was entering through the old gate.

The Sutherlands were advancing steadily, led by swordmaster Brondello, who commanded the unit in his Gloucester. Along with them were the rest of the Canterburry artillery units, which were guarded by a few Sutherlands with shields. The knights were making good progress towards the enemy base, when they stopped dead in their tracks, as the black and gold Caligula descended in front of them, landing with a loud metallic stomp.

All of the soldiers' jaws hang from sheer surprise, as the Britannian Knightmare rose up. Brondello quickly recognized the machine which belonged to the homicide prince. "Your highness!" Brondello exclaimed, as his Knightmare knelt down in show of respect. "You are alive!"

"Heheh. Indeed, I am." Julius chuckled, as he eyed the troops in front of him. The Caligula drew out one of its MVS swords, pointing it at the knights. "I, Julius vi Britannia, will be retaking command over this military operation." He declared with a smirk.

The swordmaster was extremely confused. The prince was alive, but he had kept hidden until now. "Your highness, what happened at the meeting with Lord Shaing and the commander of this castle?" Brondello asked, suspecting that he and his fellows were right about Shin's betrayal.

"Shaing has betrayed the empire by attempting to assassinate me and declaring his intent to kill the emperor." Julius decided to tell them outright, knowing that would be the best way to regain his control and flush out any rebels. His words struck the ignorant soldiers hard. "I have gained the Europians' allegiance, so for now they are not your main targets." He explained, enjoying the fact that all of them were dead silent and listening. "My orders are as follows. Shin Hyuga Shaing and all of his sympathizers are to be executed on sight!" Julius declared, his tone fierce and full of authority.

As the prince gave his orders, Brondello was taken aback to find that almost half of his squadron brandished their weapons and charged the black Knightmares. Did Shaing really have that many followers among them? The swordmaster watched speechless, as the countless Sutherlands attempted to swarm the Caligula.

"Kill the homicide prince!" The loyalists of Shin roared, as they opened fire with their rifles.

The Caligula activated its Blaze Luminous to protect itself from the incoming gunfire, as it then drove straight to the Sutherlands. In one swift spin, the black Knightmare had slashed in half six units with its MVS sword. Its attack did not stop there, as it activated one of its waist slash-harkens and hit the energy filler of one of the rebel units and kicked it towards its allies, where it exploded and caused the other machines to explode as well.

The last of the surviving enemy Sutherlands attempted to slash at the Caligula from behind, aiming at the cockpit, only for the black Knightmare to turn around and slice it in half. The small group of rebels was put down brutally and the rest of the soldiers watched in awe and horror. The Caligula planted its sword in the ground and put its hands on top of the hilt, its threatening presence causing the rest of the Knightmares and soldiers to bow down in respect and fear.

"All defiant mongrels will be exterminated." Julius grinned, his Geass glowing.

* * *

 **And that's it for this chapter. The final battle of this arc has begun, with Juilius being the one in control of everything. We get some more insight into the relationship between Julius and Lelouch, further teasing you guys for the time the action moves over to area 11. Next chapter will be mostly around Shin and Akito's battle and how Julius' presence will alter it. Of course, Leila will get her chance to shine. Other than that, I guess I can give a comment or two on you guys' reviews. First of all, I'm really glad and thankful that you are enjoying the story, even though my updates are scarce. Second, I hope that you guys were interested by Rai's brief appearance in the previous chapter and don't worry, he'll be having his spotlight later on in the story. I can probably guess that most if not all of you are against the idea of Julius ending the W-0, but bear in mind that it's only a possibility. You'll have to wait and see how this arc ends to find out if I'm going to go through with it or not :D. Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!** **Leave a review to share your thoughts on this chapter and I wish you an awesome day!**


	14. Battle of Ghosts and Demons

**Hey guys, I am back from the dead. Jokes aside I finally finished this chapter, which turned out quite the word count. I know that I really can't apologize enough for the next to no updates on either of my stories (Getting into Granblue Fantasy didn't help things at all), but I hope that with taking a break from writing that I will be able to come back into to it with a fresh mindset. With that said, I do have some inkling insecurities about how this chapter turned out, but I guess we'll find out if it was good, bad, or most possibly terrible. Anyway, thank you for waiting all this time and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Stage 14: Battle of Ghosts and Demons

* * *

The black and gold Knightmare stood tall with one of its MVS in hand, surrounded by kneeling Britannian soldiers and machines. Julius smirked inside his cockpit, his Geass glowing briefly, enjoying the proper respect and authority he rightfully deserved. These men were his soldiers. Their purpose was to serve the empire and the royal family and he would make sure that that very purpose would be carried out.

"Your highness," Brondello dared to speak, his curiosity and confusion getting the better of him. "may I inquire a question?"

"Hm?" Julius' gaze shifted to the swordmaster's Gloucester, as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Be quick about it." The prince replied.

"You said that the Europians have allied themselves with you, but…" Brondello trailed, choosing his next words carefully, knowing that there was a strict code when dealing with the twelfth prince. "what are the circumstances regarding this allegiance?"

Julius thought for a few moments as to what would be the best way to describe his alliance with the W-0 and not make himself look weak for relying on them. "On the meeting that I had with the commander of this castle, the Europians surrendered themselves to me on condition that none of their personnel would be harmed." Julius spoke with a nonchalant tone, finding it boring to explain everything to his troops. "It would appear that Shin Hyuga decided to use that moment in an attempt to assassinate me and take the Europians' ultra-long range transport to attack Pendragon."

"P-Pendragon?!" The soldiers exclaimed in shock, knowing explicitly well what this implied.

"Is he planning to proclaim war against the homeland?!" Brondello gasped out, utterly taken aback by this revelation.

"Indeed." Julius spoke, a small malicious smile forming on his lips. "That is why Shin Hyuga and all of his followers will be executed for treason against Britannia." He said, as his Caligula sheathed its MVS and picked up two rifles from the crushed rebels. "We will not contact anyone, in order to successfully flush out any traitors. All of you will follow your prince for the glory of Britannia!"

The Sutherlands rose and primed their weapons. "Yes, your majesty!" All of the soldiers chanted.

"Perfect." Julius noted with a pleased smirk, as his Knightmare activated its land spinners, with his soldiers following suite. "Let us depart for battle!" The Caligula took off, its red cape flailing behind it from the speed, followed by the squad of Sutherlands and artillery units. Their direction, the closest position of another Britannian squadron.

* * *

At the castle's infirmary, the tremors of battle were left unheard, but their ghostly presence lingered, as Ayano began to grow uneasy. She had made sure to take a firearm with herself in any case that she had to defend Yukiya and herself, which was placed on the desk near her, even though she was better skilled with blades.

The dark haired Japanese girl was finding it increasingly hard to stay composed, as she was unaware of what was the situation outside. Still, she would endure, for her friend's sake. She rested her head on his bed, her hands folded beneath it to provide some cushioning.

However, her attention was quickly seized, when she heard faint grunts. "A… Aya… no." She heard, as she raised her head curiously to see Yukiya slightly sitting up and removing the oxygen supply from his mouth so he could speak. "Ayano, where am I?" The brown haired boy asked, confused.

"Yukiya!" The Japanese girl exclaimed, overjoyed and relieved to finally see her friend wake up. "Thank heaven! Yukiya!" She began to tear up, as she hugged the boy, who grunted out in pain, his patched up wounds still hurting. Realizing this, Ayano quickly let go of him. "Oh. I'm sorry." She apologized, having briefly forgotten that he wasn't in the best of shape.

"How long have I slept?" Yukiya asked, trying to shake off the dazed confusion.

"Three days." Ayano answered him.

"Three days…" Yukiya muttered, as he lay back down on the bed, his body too tired to stand upright. "I see." He responded, after which he turned to Ayano. "Where are the others?" The Japanese asked, though he had a suspicion as to what the answer would be.

"Everyone's fighting." Ayano stated. "Akito's brother has taken over the Britannians and is leading the attack, though Leila and the britannian prince seem to have some kind of plan to defeat him." She explained the situation to him, though quickly remembered something very important. "That's right!" She exclaimed, as she scowled at Yukiya. "What were you thinking remaining on the engine for so long? Why didn't you simply follow after me and Ryo like you were supposed to?" She asked, tears starting to form in her eyes, scolding him for almost throwing away his life.

Yukiya looked off to the side, not wanting to meet Ayano's gaze. "I…" He started, knowing that his words would most likely not be taken well. "I wanted to make sure that everyone would stay alive, even if it cost me." The green eyed teen said, thinking that Ayano would be fuming right about now. "That's why I stayed on board the flight engine and bombed the Britannians." He said, but was surprised by what followed.

Ayano wrapped her arms around him, embracing her friends, while she sobbed. "You idiot." She cried, as she hugged him. "You don't know how much you made us worry." The pink eyed girl looked at her friend, who stared at her with a small smile.

"I'm sorry." Yukiya smiled, glad to have made it out alive one more time. However, he knew that his friends were still in danger. The battle was not over yet and if he could do something about it, he'd be damned if he was going to stay in bed. "Ayano, I…" The brunette boy spoke wanting to tell his friend the truth he realized through that suicide attempt.

"What is it?" Ayano asked, worried for him, thinking that there was something troubling him.

"I figured out that there really is no point to hating the world." The green eyed boy smiled, surprising the dark haired girl. His friends always knew of his fierce dislike for everything and anything, but now he realized that there was no point in that. Yukiya would be content in just preserving all of his friends alive. "If it's to help my friends, then… I can love the world." He said, getting up from the bed, supported by Ayano, who helped keep him upright.

"Yukiya…" The pink eyed Japanese girl was stunned to hear the boy's change of heart. He had always had a deep hatred for humans, but it would seem that the near death experience proved to open his eyes. She couldn't be happier for him.

"Let's go." Yukiya smiled at Ayano. "The others need our help. We should contact Leila and head out."

* * *

Outside, the battle between the Knights of Michael and the W-0 was raging on at full force. The Britannian Knightmares were slowly advancing towards the control center with the small number of Europian soldiers only hindering their progress. Gunfire echoed loudly through the fields without relent. Truly the sound of battle.

Oscar Hammel and his squadron had been pushed out of their cover and now found themselves in a tight pinch. The Britannians had a massive number advantage that they simply could not win over. "We're too close! Get some distance!" Oscar ordered his troops, as he and the rest tried to do just that while returning fire.

They couldn't get support from Lt. Hyuga and the rest because they were busy dealing with the enemy's head. In short, they were stuck. However, the Europians soon became confused as to why all the firing had stopped, but were quickly alerted to the open channel communication line.

"All Britannian knights, heed my orders and cease fire at once!" Julius' voice ran through, surprising both factions, whose Knightmares turned to see the Caligula surrounded with its own group of Knightmares behind it. "In the name of Julius vi Britannia, you are to disengage any order given by Shin Hyuga Shaing and serve your prince!" Julius ordered, his Knightmare preparing its two assault rifles.

The leader of the Britannian squad, Dore of the swordmasters, was speechless. The twelfth prince was alive and well. Furthermore, that was Brondello's unit behind him. "Your majesty!" The swordmaster exclaimed, only to find that half of his squad opened fire at the prince. "What?!"

The prince smirked in his cockpit, as he activated one of the blaze luminous shields to cover himself from the bullets. The Caligula jumped in the air and sprayed the defectors with its two rifles. The prince's forces soon followed suite and opened fire at the traitors. The Europians simply watched in confusion at the Britannian infighting.

Dore and his loyalists quickly made their way to their prince's side, as his black and gold Knightmare slashed through every enemy foolish enough to attack him. "Brondello, what is going on?!" Dore asked his fellow swordmaster, completely taken for a loop.

"We were right." Brondello grunted, as he took cover from the enemy fire. "Shaing is a traitor to the empire."

Hearing this, Dore seethed with anger. Their suspicions had proven true. Shaing would pay for all the lives he had cost them in his mad ambitions. "Damn him to hell!" The swormaster yelled, as he shot down one of the rebels, who had sneaked up on them.

* * *

At the W-0's control center, Leila was surprised to receive contact from Oscar and his team. His report was just on time and relieved almost everyone in the room. The news that Julius vi Britannia was leading the battle against any would be traitors was great to hear. That meant that they no longer had to risk the lives of their small amount of soldiers.

Now, only two problems remained. Leila's gaze nervously shifted between the combating signatures of Akito, Ryo and Ashley's Knightmares, no doubt still engaged in a fight with Shin, and the launching site for the Apollo's chariot. When Yukiya and Ayano contacted her, she had just received a report that the drones they had stationed there had been terminated. That meant that the enemy was already at their goal.

With no one else to rely on, she gave Yukiya and Ayano permission to enter the battlefield, despite her reluctance regarding Yukiya's state. To succeed she would everyone's help and she was sure that they wouldn't let her down.

* * *

Back to the battlefield, Britannians brought down the defects, who blindly followed Shin's dream of destruction. Julius was smirking with satisfaction at the annihilation of those that would dare oppose him. His Caligula, being the most advanced Knightmare on this battlefield, effortlessly brought down unit after unit. It dashed through like a metallic shadow of death.

The W-0's Alexanders had also joined the fray, as the Britannian prince had ordered his soldiers to synch their signals with the Europian Knightmares, so there would be no friendly fire. With their now larger numbers, Julius' force was completely pushing back the defects.

"Die, monster!" A traitor yelled, as his Sutherland threw a chaos mine straight for the Caligula. To the poor soldier's surprise, the seventh generation Knightmare slashed the grenade in half with one of its MVS swords and dashed straight for him with blinding speed. The pilot had no time to realize that he had been cut in half along with his Sutherland.

"Hmph, weakling." Julius shrugged, however, his machine's sensor immediately went off in alarm. "What?!" The prince exclaimed in surprise, as his Knightmare brought up its Blaze Luminous shields on its arms, tanking an artillery hit from a Canterbury. The highly concentrated energy blast was pushing back against the energy shields, as the Knightmare itself was losing ground. "Being pushed by a thing like this!" Julius cursed, as his Knightmare continue to hold out against the blast until it would disintegrate.

However, the enemy aligned Canterbury began to charge another artillery strike, aiming straight for the advanced Knightmare. "Why you…!" Julius raged, until a few sniper round flew past him and took out the Sutherlands guarding the Canterburry's legs. His Knightmare finally freeing itself, it activated its lands-pinners and effortlessly dodged out of the way of the artillery fire. Confused and curious as to who had provided him with cover, the prince registered the presence of a blue and green Alexander with a sniper riffle hanging back on top of one of the castle buildings.

"It looked like you could use a hand, your highness." Yukiya joked on the coms, as he clutched his abdomen with one of his arms to less the pain from jumping into battle when he only was in the operating table a few moments prior. Even if the situation proved that he wasn't targeting them, Yukiya had to see the homicide prince and come to his own decision. "Glad to see that we're buddies now."

"Don't push your luck, mongrel." Julius replied coldly, annoyed by the eleven boy's banter. He didn't have time to waste in idle chatter. "If you want to make yourself useful, then synch your signal mapping with the rest and squash these defiant imbeciles." He ordered, not wanting to waste time when his chance to get revenge at Shin was right in front of his face. Akito's allowance time was slowly ticking out and the twelfth imperial prince was growing impatient.

"Sure, sure." Yukiya ignored the Britannian's orders and went about to aid his own comrades.

* * *

On another part of the battlefield, Ashley's Red Ogre slammed into one of the buildings, kicked away by the Vercingetorix. Ryo had been trying to provide support fire and aid in the battle, but the golden Knightmare had effortlessly shredded his riffle with a swing of its SDA axe, forcing him to pull back. Before they could recover and continue their combined attack on Shin Hyuga, they were intercepted by more Sutherlands, which came to their master's aid. Left with no choice, Ryo and Ashley took on the reinforcements, providing Akito with a chance to slip through and follow Shin, whose Knightmare headed straight for the W-0 control center.

The Alexander Liberte chased after the galloping Vercingetorix, as the latter expertly maneuvered through the terrain. The golden Knightmare effortlessly scaled up the large building in front of it, while its adversary followed close behind, using its slash harkens as grappling hooks to allow its land spinners more grip on the vertical surface.

With his mind focused solely on the battle with his brother, Akito's irises were encased with red circles, as the Geass command took hold of him. He was in this to kill. "Die…" Akito grinned madly, as he continued chasing after Shin.

With one swift jump, the Vercingetorix landed straight on top of the control tower of the W-0. Landing with a heavy metallic stomp, the golden Knightmare raised its axe and used it to destroy the satellites on the roof, which no doubt provided all the intel to the control center. The force of the attack was felt in the control center, as the shockwaves shook the very structure and alarms began to go off.

* * *

Leila frowned, as she raised her head. Shin had already reached them. Another shockwave resounded, no doubt courtesy of the Britannian Knightmare.

"Signal from ultra-high altitude observation balloon has cut out!" Sarah reported, with worry echoing loudly in her voice, as everyone in the room started to panic.

"Remain calm!" Leila ordered. If they lost their cool now, it would mean their end. She wasn't fighting for anything grand, no, Leila was fighting to save her friends' lives and that meant that she had to keep her head in the game at all times. She was still worried about the possibility that the britannian prince might betray them, as it gnawed at her in the back of her head, but their current predicament was of greater importance. "We can still compute enemy positions with just sensors!" She said, but another shockwave hit, this time forcing everyone to grab on to something in an effort not to lose their weight. Leila held firm and steadied herself. As the commander, it was her duty that everyone made it out alive. There was no way she would forgive herself if she lost.

* * *

Just as the Vercingetorix was about take another swing with its axe, the Alexander Liberte arrived on the scene, finally scaling the building, and jumped high in the air with its katana at the ready to deliver a blow. "Stop it!" Akito yelled out, not going to allow his brother to bring harm to anyone, especially Leila.

The Knightmares' weapons clashed, as the Vercingetorix swung with its axe to counter the slash of the Alexander. Shin grinned, as Akito's Knightmare landed on the roof, right in the perfect spot for him to bring his axe down on his brother. "Fools should die!" Shin declared, as he struck hard with the SDA axe, sending the Alexander stumbling back, which had managed to block the attack with its wrist mounted Blaze Luminous.

"No!" Akito yelled back in defiance, as the two brothers prepared to clash again. The Alexander dashed forward, attempting to slash at the Vercingetorix, only for the golden Knightmare to effortlessly hurl it back with a swing of its axe. Recoiling, Akito dodged a shotgun round from his brother's Knightmare, jumping to the side, as the two machines clashed their weapons again.

* * *

Back to the battle at the castle's main gate, Julius' forces and the W-0's squadron were finishing up the remnants of Shin's troops. Their victory was swift and overwhelming. With his advanced Knightmare and authority, Julius' very presence was enough reason for the Britannian soldiers to put their all for the sake of the crown.

"Perish." Julius hissed, narrowing his eyes, as the Caligula slashed through the cockpit of one of the final opposing Sutherlands. Swinging out its MVS the black and gold Knightmare sheathed the sword and turned to the rest of the battlefield.

Scraps of Sutherlands and other machinery lay everywhere, along with the environmental destruction caused by the battle. The squad of Alexanders was finishing on their side as well, with the appearance of Yukiya having boosted their morale. Julius smirked in satisfaction. Almost all of the remaining Britannian soldiers were now back at his command.

"Well then, I think that I can go and entertain myself now." The prince grinned, as his Geass glittered. Activating the channel which only he and his soldiers used, Julius gave his orders. "All Britannian Knights, you are to continue the purging of our ranks!" He declared over the comms. "When the last of Shin Hyuga's followers have fallen, you are to round up all of the Europians and await further orders." The Caligula activated its land spinners. "I will make sure for myself that this whole operation ends."

The black and gold Knightmare dashed off at blazing speeds, as the proud and loyal chants of the Knights resounded over the comms. "Yes, your majesty!"

In his Alexander, Yukiya noticed Julius' Knightmare leaving, which prompted concern from him. As much as he wanted to follow after, he needed to stay with the rest of the team. He couldn't simply leave them alone with all of these Britannian Knightmares, which could gun them down at any second. "Damn it." The brown haired boy grunted, as he clutched at his wound. He would simply have to keep faith that this whole mess wouldn't backfire on them.

* * *

At the launching site of the Apollo's Chariot, Jeanne Rowe had successfully infiltrated the premises. It had been a piece of cake for a knight like her to blaze through a pack of drones. She had loaded the bombs into the rocket just as instructed and was finishing with the activation codes she had been able to snatch during the skirmish at the surrender of the Europians. It was easy to say that she was nervous.

"Lord Hyuga, I've just finished rewriting the transport's flight program at the launch site." Jeanne reported to her lord, having mixed thoughts about this. She had linked her Sutherland's systems to the rocket's software and was using it to input the coding.

"As soon as it's prepared, launch it." Shin's voice came on the comms. As Jean continued with her work, the ultra-long range rocket was preparing for takeoff, as it got into position and the top of the launching site slowly opened. "Jean, we'll soon bring destruction down upon everything."

"Lord Hyuga…" Jeanne muttered, as sweat dripped down her face. Was she really going through with this? The firing button appeared on her screen. She hesitated, but her hand slowly moved towards the red button. However, the female knight froze in place when a voice called out to her.

"Freeze!" Ayano declared on her comms, as her blue and neon pink Alexander had taken aim at the Sutherland. "Make one move and I'll fire at your cockpit!" The black haired pilot threatened. "Resistance is useless. Step out of your Knightmare at once!"

The hatch of the Sutherland's cockpit opened, with Jeanne hopping out of her machine with hands raised in the air. Based on her appearance, Ayano became suspicious. "That's…" She wondered if that was the female knight Ashley had told them about, the one with the unrequited love for Akito's older brother. In a sense, Ayano felt sympathy for her, not that she actually had any feelings towards Akito or anything. The Alexander moved closer a few steps, its rifle still traced at Jeanne, who, unknown to Ayano, had a plan up her sleeve. The Europian Knightmare knelt down, with Ayano exiting out of the cockpit, dressed in her pilot suit.

Jeanne narrowed her eyes at the girl, who jumped down from her Knightmare. The knight was ready to use the pistol she taped to her back at any moment. Ayano leveled her gaze towards the other woman. "So you must be the 'lady knight' that Ashley spoke about." The Japanese girl said. Jeanne smirked, drawing her pistol and aiming at Ayano's head, narrowing her eyes in preparation for the kill. "Ashley told us everything." Ayano continued, not allowing herself to be fazed by the other female.

"Shut your mouth and lie on the floor." Jeanne ordered her target, motioning with her pistol.

"Do you really think it's right to bomb Pendragon and destroy the world?" Ayano asked her opposition, knowing from what Ashley had said that the knight in front of her wasn't hell bent on destruction at all.

Jeanne visibly flinched from the question, but quickly recoiled by becoming angered. "I said to get on the floor!" She ordered loudly. She didn't want to hear that dreaded question from another person's mouth.

Somehow, Ayano felt like she could relate to the female knight in front of her. Ever since she lost her older sister, the Japanese girl had been all alone, until she met Ryo and his gang. Those were some of the brightest days of her life that she spent with her newfound family. And yet, the world took almost all of them from her again. She had been eternally grateful that Ryo and Yukiya were by her side, because otherwise she shuddered to think what would've become of her. Then they met Leila and Akito and her life took another turn for the better. She had been skeptical at first, but Ayano now could without a single regret in her heart that she was able to encounter the idealistic commander and the mysterious soldier.

Shaking her thoughts out of her head, Ayano returned her attention to the girl in front of her. At least for once in her life, she wanted to solve something without violence, like Leila had showed her to be possible. If Yukiya could rebuke his nihilism towards the world, then she could do something herself. "I know what it's like to want to do whatever the person you love says." Ayano said, starting to take slow steps forward, surprising Jeanne. Truthfully, it hurt to not be able to act on her own feelings, but Ayano was tougher than that. "But you have to do more than that." The Japanese girl said with a sympathetic smile, as she continued walking towards the female knight.

"Stay back!" Jeanne ordered, as she began to shake, her will slowly being torn between what her heart and mind told her. She fired a warning shot, which made Ayano stop for only but a second, before she continued walking towards her.

"If you really want to do what's best for that person…" Ayano said.

"Stop!" Jeanne threatened.

"you can't just do what they-" A bullet flew right past Ayano's head, ruffling her hair on the side. This was a challenge for both of them, it seemed. Ayano continued forward, refusing to allow the threat to stop her. "They'll never know how you feel that way."

"My feelings are irrelevant." Jeanne muttered out loud, her eyes lowering to the ground in sadness, before she quickly regained her composure. "Lord Hyuga's wishes…" She shook, uncertainty clouding her actions. "Lord Hyuga's desires!" She yelled out, declaring to herself what was of importance, as Ayano was now in front of her, gazing at her with a caring gaze. "I want to make them come true!"

Ayano looked at Jeanne for a few seconds before speaking. "Even if you give him what he wants, he still won't be happy." She told the knight the harsh truth, feeling bad for her.

After hearing the truth, she had tried so hard to deny to herself, Jeanne simply couldn't take anymore, as she felt her arms fell limp to her sides and an anguished expression settled on her face. Ayano embraced the other girl and the two stood like that in silence. "What should I…" Jeanne muttered, the conflict in her heart completely crippling her. "What should I do?"

* * *

On top of castle Weisswolf's control center, Akito and Shin's relentless battle waged on, while the rest of the W-0 base was engulfed by chaos. The two brothers ferociously maimed at each other with their Knightmares, ignoring everything else that was transpiring around them. Steel clashed with steel when the weapons of both the Alexander and the Vercingetorix collided.

"Why won't you just die?!" Shin yelled out, as the Vercingetorix swung violently with its axe in repeated succession, forcing the Alexander on the defensive. The Geass had broken out of the older Hyuga's control and now the power was trying to consume its already unstable host. "Die, Akito!"

With his brother's power affecting his conscience, Akito was becoming absorbed by the battle itself. "No!" The blue eyed Japanese yelled, as he not only had to fight his elder sibling, but also play a tug-of-war with the order given to him by the Geass to not lose his sanity. It was an enormous burden on both his body and mind, but Akito wasn't about to let such a thing stop him.

He wasn't fighting for revenge anymore. The Alexander Liberte managed to break through the Vercingetorix's assault. The smaller frame tackled the golden Knightmare off the roof of the control center. He was fighting for the people he cared about. "Brother, stop this madness and remember!" Akito yelled at his sibling, using the memories he had of his brother helping him to repress the influence of the Geass. Even after he had tried to kill him, Shin didn't abandon Akito as a child and looked after him, until he left him at a military institution at the E.U. Akito wanted to believe that he had been wrong all this time to hate his brother. He wanted to try and fix what the elder Hyuga broke.

"Damn you!" Shin roared with anger, as the two Knightmares plummeted towards the ground. The Vercingetorix fired one of its wrist mounted slash harkens and used as a grappling hook, attaching it to the wall of the control center to cease the fall. The Alexander Liberte remained firm in its grasp of the other frame, until the two Knightmares hit the glass wall on one of the sides of the building, forcing the two machines to fall down, though at a lessened height.

Recoiling fast from the fall, Akito began to backpedal with his unit, while the Vercingetorix chased after him at full speeds with SDA axe at the ready. The golden Knightmare slashed at the retreating Alexander, which was pushed on the defensive once more. The two Knightmares eventually reached a cliff, with the Alexander Liberte jumping down to the forest below, followed by the Vercingetorix, which was prepared to deliver another blow with its axe.

The swing connected and hurled Akito away into the trees, which the steel frame of his Knightmare almost crashed through. Shin landed on an old piece of architecture, with his Knightmare's weight causing it to crumble to pieces, only for the unit to jump off before it fell. The two brothers' battle continued, as their machines clashed throughout the forest.

* * *

The Caligula raced through the streets of the castle grounds, maiming any unfortunate enemy that decided to get in its way. Julius used the map on his Knightmare to get to the Hyuga brothers, singling out their signatures, but the constant rabble that was getting in his way were starting to get on his nerves.

"Get lost!" The prince growled angrily, as he slashed through another enemy Sutherland. He wasn't about to have his prize stolen from him. All of these people were playing on his self-control and at this rate he would lose his hold on his Geass. However, he soon encountered a cause which made him stop dead in his tracks. The Caligula was now faced with both Ryo's Alexander and Ashley's Red Ogre, which were surrounded by piles of crushed Sutherlands. The two Knightmares seemed to be in a stance which screamed offensive retaliation towards the black Knightmare. "I am not in the mood for your games, so out of my way, weaklings." Julius threatened the two pilots.

"Yukiya informed us that you headed off on your own." Ryo said, as he gripped the controls of his machine, prepared for the tough fight that most likely awaited him. "And your direction means that you are headed towards Akito."

"What of it?" Julius sneered, annoyed that these two dared to confront him.

"Last time you told me to confront you when I have the resolve and strength to protect those I care about." Ryo said, as he and Ashley fought off their nervousness from facing the homicide prince in battle. Ryo's Alexander traced its riffle directly at the Caligula. "I'm going to say this only once. Stand down and don't you dare think of harming my friends." Ryo grit his teeth. He was prepared to do anything in his power so long as the prince didn't reach the two brothers, for he had no idea as to the reason he wanted to go there.

"Challenging the homicide prince, huh?" Ashley chuckled nervously, the Red Ogre brandishing its two swords, with its pilot sharing in his friend's statement. The former Knight of Michael knew exactly well what it meant to clash with the prince, but he was prepared to commit treason for the sake of his honor and loyalty towards his comrades. "I'm getting excited."

Julius narrowed his eyes, displeased by the outcome, but a part of him did respect the courage the two pilots showed. Too bad that courage alone wasn't going to win them the fight. "Alright then…" The prince said, as the Caligula activated one of its MVS swords, its vibrant red glow shining dangerously. "I, Julius vi Britannia, will grant you the privilege of falling at my feet." Julius declared with a leveled tone, as the three Knightmares charged at each other.

The first to come was Ashley in his Red Ogre, which collided blades with the Caligula, only for the latter to use its superior strength to push out of the struggle, sending the red Knightmare stumbling back. "Guh!" Ashley groaned from the force behind the black machine's attack. "Just as strong as one would expect!" He smiled, wishing to savor this chance to fight such an opponent.

The charge of the Caligula was intercepted by the Alexander Valiant's gunfire, with the prince's Knightmare using its Blaze Luminous to effortlessly deflect the bullets. Julius prepared to intercept the oncoming tackle from Ashley, as his and the orange haired knight's machines clashed. It wasn't easy to manage between a close ranged fighter and a long range one, but the twelfth prince's training with Nonette had been leagues ahead in difficulty. Compared to that, this was like child's play.

"You are persistent, I'll give you that." Julius noted, as the Caligula activated its land spinners and advanced towards the Valiant, caching Ryo and Ashley off guard, the latter of which hurried after the black Knightmare. Now in close range, Julius took out the second MVS and attempted to slice the Valiant in half, only for it to dodge to the side in its insect mode, forcing the larger frame to swing behind itself, so as to counter the slash from the Red Ogre.

The two Alexander pilots were finding themselves faced with an unbeatable challenge. "Damn, he's tough!" Ryo cursed, trying to figure out a tactic he and Ashley could use to beat the monstrous Knightmare. This was proving to be just like the last time he had faced the Knight of Nine, who had used a similar model.

"But that's what makes this challenging!" Ashley laughed, as the two brawn heads shared a chuckle and resumed their assault.

In the midst of the fight, Julius received a call from Brondello. "Your majesty."

"What is it? I am kind of busy here!" Julius exclaimed, irritated that Anna Clement's Knightmares were so nimble and hard to deal with when in the hands of capable pilots, as he was forced to mitigate between blocking gunfire and countering slashes.

On his side of the field, the Swordmaster and his allies had successfully managed to suppress all rebels and had conversed with the small platoon of the W-0, getting to understand more of the situation. "We have finished with Lord Shaing's followers and are now headed to meet with the base's commander as per your instructions." Brondello informed the prince.

"Alright, cooperate with them until I finish with the last phase of this battle." Julius ordered, as he fired one of the slash harkens on his Knightmare's waist at Ryo, only for him to dodge the attack.

"Understood, your majesty." Brondello shut off the communication.

Returning all of his attention to the fight, Julius was finding himself actually challenged to win. His two opponents were proving to be stronger than he had taken them for. "Then I guess it's time I stopped underestimating you." Julius said, surprising Ryo and Ashley with his sentence, catching them off guard with his next move.

The Caligula fired off all of its slash harkens, staggering both enemy Knightmares. Julius then used this chance to deliver the final blow, as Ryo soon found himself facing the prince's black Knightmare, which brought down its MVS upon his Valiant. Ryo thought that he was a goner, when he saw the vibrating red steel show through the hull of his cockpit, as it had already singed through his Knightmare's upper body, destroying all functional systems. However, in a stroke of luck, the blade was pulled out before it could slice through him like butter.

"Ryo!" Ashley exclaimed, with his unit charging the Caligula to save Ryo's life, though instead of encountering a defensive slash, the Red Ogre ran straight into Julius' grip. "What the?!" The orange haired knight was surprised, when he saw that the prince's machine had firmly grabbed hold of his Knightmare's arms.

"It's over for you." Julius declared, as the Caligula kicked the Red Ogre in the chest with all its might, separating the flying oil leaking torso from the arms that were still in the black Knightmare's grasp. The britannian prince then made his Knightmare pick up the red Alexander by its head and crushing it, finally allowing the defeated machine and pilot to drop down.

"Damn it!" Ryo cursed, as he punched the wall of his cockpit, trying to exit out of it, but the slash from the MVS had caused the locks to malfunction and the gap in the hull wasn't enough for him to fit through. He and Ashley watched the black Knightmare sheathing its blade and turning to leave them.

"I commend you for trying your best." Julius' voice came through the speakers of his Knightmare, surprising the two pilots. "But you had no chance of defeating me from the start." The Caligula activated its land spinners. "I shall spare your lives in recognition of your courage." The black Knightmare drove off towards its destination, leaving the two crushed Alexanders in its dust.

"…" Ryo remained silent in his cockpit, reflecting on how he had somehow managed to get out in one piece from the fight. He and Ashley had both expected to become blood stains, but that fate had spared them. The Japanese didn't understand if the britannian prince was looking down on them or respected them as per his words. "Shit!" He punched the metal hull, hating to think hard about stuff.

Inside the speeding Caligula, Julius wore a scowl on his face, discontent with himself. _I should have killed those two and lessened my work for later._ He griped with himself. _Then again, Breisgau and the rest would have noticed their vitals disappear, ruining my victory with no enemy retaliation._ The prince's eyes narrowed dangerously, wishing to ignore this seemingly contradictive thought train. After all, his enemies waited for him to hand them their fate.

* * *

At the control base of the W-0, the staff had just received word from Oscar and Yukiya that the Britannians have agreed to the mutual alliance. This was a cause for sighs of relief from everyone, especially Leila. The call from Ayano prior to that, reassured her that the Apollo's Chariot was no longer in jeopardy of being used for Shin's mad scheme. Leila had been nervous this whole time, but she was yet to drop her guard. Akito was still fighting with his brother and that was her prime cause for concern.

To add to the blond commander's stress, Anna called out worriedly to her, when she received a status update on all units. "Leila! It's Ryo and Ashley!" The purple haired girl exclaimed in panic, drawing everyone's attention. "Their Alexanders' signatures have ceased!"

"What?!" Leila was stunned from the news. The two were very talented pilots, they couldn't have possibly been killed, could they?

Before everything could escalate into further panic, Sophie Randle relieved everyone from their worry. "There is no need to worry. Their vitals are normal and steady." The head doctor assured the rest of the team.

Dr. Randle's words provided sweet relief to the troubled Leila, who wasted no time to gather her thoughts. She had been too preoccupied in focusing her attention on the large scale battle against the rebelling britannians, that she hadn't noticed the signatures of the others. "Anna, did Ryo and Yukiya come in contact with an enemy?" Leila asked her friend.

"Their Knightmares' signals disappeared shortly after they confronted Julius vi Britannia's Knightmare." Anna explained, her worry for the pilots replacing with confusion.

Leila, on the other hand, became on high alert. If the prince was moving separately from his soldiers, then that would mean he was after something else. Afraid of the deduction she had reached, Leila quickly focused her attention to the large digital map. "Bring up the signature of Knightmare unit Caligula!" She ordered.

"There!" Sarah and Olivia quickly honed in on the prince's Knightmare, bringing up visual feed. The black and gold machine was steadily speeding through the old streets.

"Where the hell is he hurrying off to?" Claus was confused, until the map zoomed out and showcased the unit's trajectory.

"Oh no." Leila muttered, as she realized that the prince was headed straight for Akito and Shin, who were in the forests on the other side of the castle. She easily deduced that Julius was most likely headed there to kill Shin himself, or perhaps Akito along with him. She clenched her fists deciding on a course of action. "Call Ayano and tell her to go and check on Ashley and Ryo. Yukiya and the others are to remain wary of the britannians, but are not to open fire, unless reason is given." Leila ordered, as she turned off her station.

"Commander?" Claus asked confused, as he watched her run for the exit.

 _I have to stop them._ Leila thought, as she hurried out of the room, intent on getting to Akito and Shin, before Julius had had the chance to possibly kill both of them. She noted their location before leaving the room, that being the forest near the gravesite that Akito had built in honor for his deceased comrades, which was thankfully not very far away from the control center and she still had some time left. _Akito, please, wait for me! Please don't die!_ Leila worried, hurrying to the forest as fast as her legs could carry her, not knowing that her Geass had briefly activated.

* * *

Inside the forest, the two brothers were still fighting each other. The Knightmares continued to attack one another, as the Alexander Liberte dodged swing after swing and delivered a spinning jump slash, which was blocked by the Vercingetorix, but the force of the hit sent the golden unit stumbling to the ground. Both pilots were beginning to feel the toll of their long battle, as exhaustion was creeping at them, but neither would let it influence them.

Shin groaned inside his cockpit, but then chuckled madly. "It's hard to believe this is the same Akito." The older Hyuga smirked, surprised by how strong his younger brother was proving to be, as he watched the Liberte land on the ground and charge at him with an inversed grip of its blade. Before the Vercingetorix could fully right itself, the Alexander delivered a heavy punch to the torso of the golden unit with its shielded arm, the impact pushing the larger machine backwards. The force from the punch hit Shin hard, as he growled in pain.

"Brother!" Akito called out to Shin, trying to somehow get him to listen to reason. The Alexander continued to punch at the Vercingetorix from left to right, with the last punch even breaking the golden Knightmare's right shoulder armor, sending the britannian unit to the ground.

Before the Liberte could continue its assault, the Vercingetorix activated its SDA axe, its cogs spinning at an incredible speed, and slashed upward from its downed position, stunning the white and purple Knightmare. Shin's machine rose to its feet and began to swing its weapon down on the Alexander in repeated succession, forcing the smaller frame to the ground, where it then planted its axe into the Alexander's left arm, which carried its Blaze Luminous shield.

"I won't give you an easy death!" Shin chuckled madly, as the Alexander activated its land spinners and drove off, severing its shield from its arm to put some distance between itself and its adversary. The Vercingetorix followed after it and with one precise swing severed the Liberte's vulnerable left arm.

"Ugh!" Akito braced himself from the impact, as he drove backwards at full speed, but the Vercingetorix entered its four legged mode and chased after him. With his attention thoroughly focused on his enemy, Akito didn't realize that he was backing straight into an old ruined aqueduct, until his cockpit hit the wall behind him and his Knightmare came to a halt. The Vercingetorix stopped in front of the cornered Alexander, reared itself on its hind legs and raised its axe to deliver the finishing blow. Akito's frowning eyes widened in realization, understanding that this was it for him. _I'm sorry, Leila. It looks like I won't be able to tell you that I love you, after all._ A small smile crept on Akito's face, as he watched his end approach, not wishing to close his eyes for his final moments.

"Die, Akito!" Shin yelled with a mad smile, as his Knightmare swung with its axe. However, both pilots' eyes widened in surprise, when a flying MVS impaled the SDA axe from the side, causing its grinding to come to a halt and blocking the razor mechanisms, making the weapon practically useless. "What?!" Shin bellowed in anger.

Akito's eyes still reflected his surprise when both he and Shin turned to the direction from which the sword was thrown. "That's…!" Akito immediately recognized the Caligula standing far off at the top of the aqueduct.

"Did you miss me, Shaing?" Julius smirked, taunting the knight, as the Caligula jumped down from the aqueduct and activated its other MVS.

"Julius vi Britannia!" Shin roared angrily, as the Vercingetorix took out its Blaze Luminous blade, the beam of which firmly concentrated, and charged straight for the black Knightmare. The two machines clashed their weapons and engaged in a power struggle. "I can't believe those idiotic europians didn't finish you off." The grandmaster of the Knights of St. Michael growled.

"Oh, I'll make you believe it." Julius chuckled, as the two Knightmares began to exchange blows. "You're going to find out just how big of a mistake it was to even think of killing me!" The prince declared, as the swords of the two frames clashed once more.

Not having the time to ponder on the details of why the britannian prince was here, Akito quickly made his Knightmare pick up its blade and rise to its feet. This was his fight and he would finish it himself. While the Caligula and the Vercingetorix exchanged blows, the latter entered its four legged mode and kicked back the oncoming Alexander, focusing solely on the enemy in front of it.

The Caligula ducked underneath one of the slashes of its opponent attempting to slash straight up, but finds his Knightmare being caught by the waist by the Vercingetorix. "What?!" Julius exclaimed caught off guard, as the Vercingetorix used the support of its four legs to lift the black Knightmare and sending it flying. This act, of course, put a lot of pressure on the skeleton of the golden unit, as it had to lift the weight of the heavier Lancelot model, compared to the lightweight Alexander.

Julius' Knightmare stumbled to the ground from the fall, but quickly rose to its feet with next to no damage taken. "Bastard." Julius growled, as he prepared to engage Shin once more, but realized that Akito had beat him to it, watching as the Alexander and Vercingetorix exchanged blows once more.

The two Knightmares' exchange lasted shortly, when the Liberte charged straight for the Vercingetorix. Akito let out a fierce and determined battle cry, as his Knightmare's sword stabbed through the neck of the Vercingetorix, plunging straight through the cockpit, forcing Shin to tilt slightly sideways to avoid the piercing blade, which had entered the cockpit from an angle which couldn't possibly deal damage to the pilot. As the blade slid all the way in, the powering down Vercingetorix grabbed the now millimeters away Alexander by the shoulder to keep it in place and plunged its disengaging Blaze Luminous sword through the underside of the Liberte's cockpit, the blade of which Akito barely avoided, thanks to it losing power.

Grabbing Ayano's dagger and resolving himself to this final fight, Akito leapt out of the cockpit of his Knightmare, whose hull had ejected. Shin had done the same, as he stood opposite Akito with his own sword in hand. The two brothers eyed each other fiercely, as Shin let out a fierce roar and ran straight to Akito, using the two Knightmares as steps, to slash him. Akito blocked the attack with his dagger and used all of his strength to prevent his brother from overpowering him. The two growled at each other, with Shin's Geass flaring wildly out of control, as Akito pushed him back with the two exchanging a few sword strikes, until jumping down from their Knightmares.

Watching in the cockpit of his Knightmare, Julius was incredibly pleased by the development. "Oh?" He chuckled, as he watched in amusement the two brothers fight. Now they were completely vulnerable and he could kill them both with a single press of a button. "Heh." The prince smirked, as he decided that there was no point in such an unfulfilling execution. A sinister grin settled on his face, as his Geass flared, knowing exactly the type of end to give the two brothers. Julius deactivated his Knightmare and exited out of the cockpit, covering his left eye with his left hand, as he slowly began to walk towards the brothers, passing the gravestones around him.

Akito and Shin continued to fight blow for blow. Their blades struck at each other numerously. Neither was intent on backing down, despite not sensing the danger that was approaching them.

"Brother, stop this! It's enough!" Akito yelled at Shin. "Slaughtering each other won't solve anything!"

"You're right, it won't solve anything." Shin grinned madly, as he prepared for another strike. "But that's what people want. So do you, Akito." His words struck Akito, making him freeze in place. "You enjoy fighting."

"You're wrong!" Akito tried to reject his brother's claim.

"So die, Akito! Vanish from this world!" Shin declared, as he swung down with his blade, cutting into Akito's chest and shoulder, as some of his blood spilled from the wound and onto the sword.

"Argh!" Akito felt the pain from the cut, the sting of the wound being almost unbearable.

"I'll kill you, Akito!" Shin proclaimed once more, preparing to stab straight through Akito. "Death is a blessing! All humans will die!" Just as he was charging for Akito, who looked pleadingly at him, Shin came to a stop when he realized that Akito was surrounded by ghosts of what were probably some deceased comrades of his.

"Stop this! Don't kill him!" They all spoke out.

"Filthy spirits!" Shin growled in anger, having had enough of seeing ghost all his life. However, he then heard a familiar voice, which snapped him to attention.

"You, who love your younger brother so, wish to release your loved ones from the curse of this world." The ghost of Michelle Manfredi appeared next to Shin, gazing down at the knight sympathetically. "Your desire…"

"Your kindhearted desire is clear." The voice of Shin's adoptive mother Maria rang, as her ghost appeared as well. "But perhaps you are mistaken."

"There is no mistake!" Shin reassured, resolute that he was in the right. However, he then saw the ghost of his adopted younger sister Alice run past him and stand next to Manfredi.

"We know because you loved us." Alice said. "But you might be wrong. This world might contain more possibilities than you think."

"There is no hope in this world!" Shin declared, as his face twisted in despair and anger, preparing to stab Akito, whose irises had red circles around them, witnessing the exchange between the ghosts and his brother. Both of them came to a halt, when the ghost of the Hyuga brother's mother appeared in front of Shin.

"Please don't kill Akito." She begged her elder son with a kind smile on her face.

"He means that much to you?" Shin asked disgusted by the sight of his mother. "You didn't kill Akito back then, either!" He spat venomously, referring to the time he had ordered all of his clan to die.

"That's because I love both of you the same." His mother said with a saddened gaze.

Shin's brows frowned, as he hesitated for a second. "Liar!" He yelled out angrily, as he attempted to stab the ghost of his mother, releasing himself from the ghosts' presence.

While Akito was still stunned under the influence of the Geass, he noticed how the ghosts' kind and serene demeanor switched to that of dread and fear, as their eyes were traced in the direction of the approaching Julius vi Britannia, who was leisurely making his way towards Akito and Shin. _The ghosts are afraid… of him?!_ Akito was shocked in his thoughts, as he had never before seen the spirits of the dead in such a state. They were always calm and unflinching, but now he was seeing genuine fear on their faces. That's when he noticed something else. _He is without his eyepatch?_

However, having diverted his attention, Akito didn't realize that he had left himself wide open for his brother to attack him. "No, brother!" With the Geass seizing its influence on his conscience, Akito attempted to parry Shin's attack, but instead got cut across the chest, letting out a pained scream.

"It's your destiny, Akito!" Shin yelled, as he cut Akito's right elbow, making him drop his dagger. The older Hyuga continued to swing his sword at his brother, with Akito trying desperately to dodge his strikes. Shin managed to cut Akito across the left leg, sending him stumbling down behind a gravestone, using it as a support to remain upright. Akito eyed Shin defiantly, as he clutched his chest wounds. "It's your destiny to die by my hand, Akito!" Shin said, as he prepared to stab Akito.

Shin's blade stopped in the air when clapping began to be heard. "Bravo." Julius clapped in a mocking manner, his smirk not leaving his face. "It was an excellent performance, but all good things eventually come to an end." He said with a dangerous note in his voice.

Both of the Hyuga turned to look at the prince, with both immediately becoming stunned silent. Julius was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, dressed in the same pilot uniform as Akito, and looking at both of them with a predatory victorious smirk. However, what struck both brothers the most was his missing eyepatch, or more-so the left eye itself.

"Your eye! It's…!" Akito was shocked speechless by the sight. The symbol in prince's left eye was fresh in his head, since his brother had the same, but something about it sent very familiar chills down his spine.

"Geass." Shin growled, making the prince grin victoriously. "So you had one too."

"Bingo." Julius decided to play along with his smug grin not leaving his face. He had already won. It was only a matter of activating his Geass. He could fool around a little till then. "Akito over there already got a hands on experience of my power back at Warsaw. Perhaps you would like a demonstration yourself?" Julius chuckled sinisterly at Shin, while his words rang through Akito's mind making him remember that time he had almost lost his mind.

"Like I would let you use it!" Shin declared, thinking that Julius' Geass also worked on eye-sight like his, as he ran straight for the prince, avoiding to look him in the eye and preparing to deliver his death in one swift cut. "Die, Julius vi Britannia!"

Julius smirked at the attempt of a killing strike. "Idiot." He spoke nonchalantly, as he easily sidestepped the slash and spun around Shin, delivering a hard elbow strike to his back, knocking the knight a few feet forward. "I'm going to love taking my time with killing you." Julius said, as he flexed his fists.

Shin shook his head to shake out the daze from the hard strike. When his eyesight cleared he noticed that he was seeing some of the ghosts of Akito's comrades again. However, he noticed their fearful expressions and how they stepped back each time Julius took a step forward. It was as if the ghosts feared his very presence. This prompted Shin to laugh, which caused Julius to stop.

"What's so funny?" Julius asked, his smirk not leaving his face, biding his time to use his Geass, savoring the experience.

"Ahaha!" Shin laughed madly, as his gaze settled back on the prince. "It would seem that you are such a terrifying monster that even ghosts are afraid of you." Shin chuckled.

"Is that so?" Julius said, as he narrowed his eyes, standing tall against the knight, who was still slightly crouched on the ground. He didn't know what ghosts Shaing had started spurting about, but he'd humor him. "They have all the reason to." Julius said, as his Geass flared, preparing to activate it. "And so do you."

The red energy field surrounded Shin, as he found himself under the full control of Julius' Geass.

* * *

The grandmaster blinked a few times, becoming confused as to why was he back at his clan's mansion. He simply couldn't understand it.

However, a very familiar voice snapped him out of his confusion. "Shin, it is time for you to face the punishment for all of your actions." Shin turned around to see the person he hated the most, his own father. The same father, who abused his mother every day, forcing her to commit adultery with the man who had become Akito's father. And he wasn't alone. Standing beside him were the rest of the clan, their cold and piercing gazes stabbing through Shin.

"Father!" Shin growled in anger, not feeling scared by the presence of any of his clansmen. He had killed them all once, he could do so again. "So you want revenge, huh? I am not afraid of you!" Shin declared, as he brandished his sword, rage fueling him.

However, his father merely chuckled evilly. "Stop your flailing boy." He said and Shin was shocked to find himself in chains the very next instant. No one had made a move to put them on him. It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere.

"What?!" Shin exclaimed, trying to break free from the chains. "What sorcery is this?!"

"This is your punishment." His father declared, as he and the rest of the clansmen grinned evilly at Shin. They then stepped to the side revealing to Shin both Akito and their mother chained to the wall and bruised up, most likely from constant beating.

The sight immediately sickened Shin, as his fury burned. "What have you done to them?!" He roared, angry that the only people he loved from his family were getting such treatment, when they didn't even deserve it. This was the fate that he had wanted to save them from, remembering full well the type of man his father was.

"Silence!" His father's authoritive voice silenced the room and made Shin flinch, recalling memories from his childhood. "These two are to pay for your impudence and you will shut up and watch." He said, to which all of the clansmen took out daggers from their robes, which unsettled Shin.

"Wait… stop it…" Shin said, as he realized what was about to happen, when he saw the men step forwards to his mother and brother. "Don't do it!" He yelled, not wanting to see what was about to happen.

"It's far too late for that." Shin's father grinned maliciously, as he walked behind Shin and grabbed his head and made sure to keep his eyes open so he could watch the unfolding scene, as the sound of a hard punch resounded.

It repeated in succession, as some of the men began to hack at Shin's mother, who let out pained groans and spat out blood from her mouth, all the while small tears fell from her bloodshot eyes.

"Stop it." Shin said, as he began to tremble, repulsed from the sight. Next one of the men stomped hard Akito's left leg, breaking it and causing him to scream out from the pain. The same was repeated for the other leg, eliciting the same response from Akito, who was biting down on his lip hard, trying to stiffen the screams, drawing blood. "Stop it." Shin repeated.

"Break the kid's jaw, I want to hear his screams." Shin's father ordered, after which one of the men delivered a hard punch to Akito's face, succeeding in his job, making a pained scream come from the blue eyed boy.

"Stop it." Shin repeated, wishing that he could use his Geass on them and kill them all for this.

"Make it so that that useless woman will never have children again." Shin's father ordered coldly, which ran a cold chill down Shin's spine.

"No, don't!" Shin struggled in his chains, but was too late, as the screams of his mother filled the room, as blood began to seep out of the lower part of her stomach, which was cut open with a knife.

"Carve them up." Shin heard his father, at which point he was frantically flailing about in the chains, trying to break them so he could each and every one of these bastards.

"Stop it!" He yelled, as he watched blood seep out from both his mother and brother, their screams adding to the disgusting nightmare.

* * *

"Stop it!" Shin screamed out, as he clutched his head and wreathed about. "Stop!" He continued to scream.

"Hahaha!" Julius laughed at the pitiful sight that now was Shin Hyuga. "I hope you are enjoying your hell, because you will be staying there for a while." He laughed maniacally.

Akito was shocked to his core. Watching his brother in such pain, the britannian prince laughing like some monster at the horrors he was causing. His fists shook with anger. There was no way he was going to leave his brother in that hell. Fighting through and ignoring all of the pain running through his body, Akito got to his feet and ran straight for Julius. "Leave my brother alone!" He yelled, surprising Julius.

"What- Guh?!" Julius exclaimed, as he was tackled to the ground by Akito, feeling the impact of his body falling to the ground with Akito's weight on top of him. The fall broke his concentration and deactivated his Geass, freeing Shin, who stopped screaming and fell on his knees, relieved from the mental torment. Julius gazed up at the angry Akito, who was keeping him pinned to the ground. "Get off of me!" Julius ordered, as he struggled against Akito's grip, slowly overpowering the wounded Japanese.

Akito growled, as he delivered a punch to Julius' face. Before he could swing again, however, he noticed his brother getting up, whilst Julius was still recovering from the shock from the punch.

Shin limped on his feet and his breathing was ragged. His eyes were trying to erase that awful scene from his mind, as his hand gripped the blade furiously. His furious gaze landed on Akito and Julius.

"Brother, no!" Akito said pleadingly, as he saw Shin approach them with a blade at the ready. However, he had nothing with which to defend himself from his brother and he was busy holding Julius down.

"Get off of me, you imbecile!" Julius struggled to break free, realizing that he was in a compromising position like this and he didn't want to use his Geass in repeated succession, because the last time had proven to not be a pleasant experience.

"Enough of this!" Shin yelled furiously. "Both of you should simply die!" He roared, as he brought up his blade and was about to stab Akito and Julius through him.

Both Akito and Julius were wide eyed at the approach of their demise. The three men were so caught up in the moment that they weren't even aware of their surroundings anymore. That's why none of them noticed Jeanne Rowe's deactivated Sutherland in the distance and the knight herself running straight for them.

What happened next was enough to force Akito and Julius into stupefied awe and shock, as a gunshot echoed. The blade that was supposed to pierce them was now dripping the blood of the woman that had taken the hit for them.

Shin watched in disbelief the last person he had expected to end his life, as he felt the gunshot wound in his torso bleeding profusely. He saw her kind eyes directed at him, as pained pants for air were escaping her lips to fill her stabbed lungs with oxygen, whilst blood seeped out of her chest. She held the hilt of his blade that had ran straight through her chest and in her other hand was the pistol which had punctured Shin.

"Please… don't suffer any more than you already have…" Jeanne begged the man she loved.

Shin's eyes narrowed in distrust and anguish, as his Geass disappeared. "Jean, what could you possibly know about it?"

Tears escaped Jean's eyes, as she felt her strength leaving her. "I know that… I love you…" She muttered out her feelings for the first and last time, as tears streamed down her face and her limp body fell to the floor, with Shin's blade still through her chest, while Akito and Julius watched in stunned silence.

Shin backed up, as blood streamed down his pilot uniform. "Stupid woman." He sighed, as he watched Jeanne's last breath escape her lungs and a small pool of blood formed around his feet from his own wound. "You are just like my mother." Shin smiled defeatedly. "Foolish." He muttered and dropped to his knees.

"Brother!" Akito exclaimed, as he got off of Julius and ran over to his brother. He caught his elder sibling's torso seeing the wound on his body, realizing that it was most likely severe. "Brother!"

"Don't touch me!" Shin tried to push his brother away, not wanting his pity.

"Brother! I know!" Akito said, surprising Shin, who looked in his younger brother's eyes. "I know that you never hated me or mother." Akito said with tears in his eyes, remembering how his brother had cried when he killed their mother. "I don't hate you brother!" Akito said, wanting to at least come clean about everything before his brother could die. "I am here because of you! Because you cared for me!"

Shin's eyes widened in realization. Memories that he had thought he had long forgotten started coming back to him. He remembered that Akito had followed him out into the world, even though he tried to push him away. The small child clung to his murderer of an older brother for dear life. At that time, Shin was everything Akito had, but so was Akito for Shin. The older Hyuga remembered the words his little brother had said to him.

"I love you big brother." Akito said, as he hanged onto his dying sibling.

"Akito…" Shin muttered, as his expression became serene, realizing that there was no further point to anything. He attempted to get up, knowing that it was too late to apologize now. "Let go…"

"Brother!" Akito begged pleadingly, but his brother sat up regardless.

"You're not alone anymore…" Shin smiled at Akito, remembering all the times he had confronted him to protect his friends, whom he cherished. "Go on living…" Shin said, as he stood up, clutching his wound and gaining a confused expression from Akito. "… in this world."

"Brother?" Akito didn't understand his brother's intentions, but then saw him head over to Jeanne's dead body.

A few steps forward Shin stopped himself and turned to look at the silently observing Julius, whose face was a mixture of confusion, sympathy and regret. The two men locked eyes with each other for a brief moment before Shin smirked lightly and passed the prince. "I think I understand you now… somewhat… Julius vi Britannia…" Shin said, as he continued towards Jeanne, leaving the prince in contemplative silence.

"Jeanne…" Shin called out to her, his vision getting blurry.

"Shin…" He heard her voice reply, as he raised his eyes to see her smiling at him.

"Jeanne…" He called out once more, as she ran for him and hugged him.

"Shin! I've missed you so much!" She exclaimed happily, a smile placed on her face.

"I'm sorry." Shin smiled and embraced Jeanne tightly. "From now on, we'll be together forever, Jeanne."

"I'm glad, Shin." She snuggled up against him.

Julius watched as the two dead bodies lay next to each other, their hands held together. He couldn't explain this feeling inside him. It was almost as if he was jealous of the end that Shin got, but at the same time he felt like he didn't understand anything of what had transpired. This sense of unawareness was something Julius never liked.

He raised his hand to cover his face and let out a loud sigh. He had intended to kill Shin and Akito, but now something inside him was eating at him. He once again realized just how alone he was. "You know nothing." Julius muttered, referring to Shin's claim of understanding him. However, as much as he wished to deny it, there was indeed a spark of similarity between him and Shin.

* * *

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, Leila prayed that she could make it in time, as she came through the gate of the castle which led to the side of the forest where Akito was. However, as she ran down the stairs, she noticed that the only two people standing were Akito and Julius, which immediately confused her. "What are they doing…?" She wondered, although when she saw what was beginning to transpire between the two boys a worrying chill crept at her. "Akito!" She called out to him, hoping to get him to stop what he was doing, but she was too far away and her voice couldn't reach him.

* * *

Before Julius could delve further into his thoughts, he was brought back to reality by the sound of a blade being picked up. Having almost forgotten that Akito was in the vicinity, Julius realized that he now had a problem to deal with. "After all that your brother's done, would you have given him another chance, Hyuga?" Julius asked Akito, who stood behind him.

"Yes, he's my older brother, after all." With his wounds stopping to bleed as much as they had, Akito felt more confident in his physical prowess than when he was in pain, so he moved on to the threat currently looming over him and his friends. The blue haired teen had picked up his dagger and now stood behind the britannian prince, who had revealed his monstrous power, his eyes locked on Julius.

"I see." Julius replied, thinking that if there was indeed a chance, then maybe his deceased family could possibly forgive his sins when he joined them in the afterlife.

"I want you to answer truthfully." Akito said in a grave tone, as he pointed the dagger at Julius' back with the prince standing unflinching. For Akito it didn't matter if the prince had this power called Geass or not. There was only one thing he needed to make sure of. "Were you going to keep your word and let Leila and the others go?" He asked dead serious.

Understanding that there was no point in lying, Julius replied with an evenly serious voice. "No." The prince said sternly. "I had intended of wiping your unit out after I had dealt with your brother." To his surprise he heard the dagger drop to the ground, no longer feeling its blade pointed at his back. Confused, he turned around to face Akito, only to receive a hard hook to the face, which sent him to the ground on his rear.

"You really are a despicable bastard, you know that?" Akito told Julius with a bitter tone, his anger showing on his face. The Japanese soldier didn't care if this person before him was royalty or anything else for that matter. What mattered was that he threatened his friends, his new family, and he would pay for that. Taking a deep breath and clenching his fists, Akito yelled at Julius. "Where does that damn pride of yours come from when you have no honor?! Why don't you fight like a man for once in your life?! Without that damned power of yours, you're nothing!"

Julius was stunned for a few moments, figuring that this situation was very familiar. Ah, yes. It reminded him of the time Lelouch rejected him. For some reason Akito's words scratched on that very wound, making Julius increasingly angered. "Two times." He muttered, as he stood up and caught Akito's punch with his left arm, before looking at the Japanese with sheer animosity. "You've hit me in the face two times now." He growled, before delivering a heavy right hook to Akito's face, making him take a few steps back to recoil. "Don't think that you stand a chance against me with those wounds, mongrel."

 _Damn! His hits are heavy!_ Akito groaned internally, as he massaged his sore jaw. He then shot the prince a fierce glare, as both of them stared down each other. It would seem that either Akito's taunt had worked and Julius didn't want to use his Geass or he simply couldn't. "It's going to be a lot more than two times I've hit your face." The Japanese teen said, making the britannian prince frown, as he brought his hands up in a fighting stance.

"I will take great pleasure in breaking you in two." Julius spat out venomously, as he intercepted Akito's charge towards him. The black haired prince leaned to the side, easily dodging the punch that was coming for him and delivered a hard strike to the blue eyed teen's stomach, forcing out his breath. "Weak." Julius frowned, as he then spun around and kicked Akito away, forcing him down to the ground. "Puny." Akito, however, wasn't backing down and kept getting back up.

The pilot of the wyvern squad briefly gasped for breath before charging back at the britannian, who was dressed identically as him. This time, he saw Julius rear his right hand for another punch, but Akito used the opening, delivering a left handed uppercut to the prince's face, shocking him, thus giving himself a chance to add in a right handed jab, which connected hard with Julius' face. "It seems like I hit your face, again." He said, as he watched blood drip down Julius' lips, with both of them eyeing each other resentfully. "I am going to beat you and show you that you don't have the right to toy with people's lives, so come at me with everything you've got!" He taunted, clenching his fists. "I am not afraid of you!"

Julius gathered what he felt like was all of the blood in his mouth and spat it off to the side, wiping his mouth with his wrist. This lowly Eleven dared to stand up against him. Not only that, but challenged him straight to his face, as if he was his equal or superior. This sense of supposed inferiority grinded Julius' gears to no end, as his face twisted in anger. "The strong devour the weak, that's the rule of this damn world!" Julius yelled at Akito, as he ran straight for him and decked him hard in the face. "Your pain and suffering, they are nothing compared to mine!"

"You're wrong!" Akito retaliated, attempting to strike Julius, who caught his punch and decked him another to the face, sending him crashing into a gravestone. "Agh!" Akito groaned from the pain his back was experiencing from colliding with the stone surface, but his fiery glare didn't let up. "There is hope in this world! You simply don't wish to see it!"

"Again with this crap!" Julius growled, annoyed by hearing Leila's foolish ideology once more, failing to notice that he was standing just before a small slope into the forest. Akito gathered some dust in his hand from the ground and threw it at the eyes of the angrily approaching Julius. "Gah! You little…!" Julius exclaimed, as he was blinded by the dust, rubbing his eyes to regain his sight.

Akito evaded a blind swing from Julius to supposedly keep him at bay and ran as fast as he could, tackling the blinded prince down the slope, as both of them began to roll downhill. By the time they reached leveled ground, both young men had gotten all bruised up from the fall on the rough terrain, with Julius hitting his back on a tree, when he had finally separated himself from Akito's grasp, groaning out in pain.

* * *

Leila had just managed to get to the graveyard, before the two had rolled downhill into the forest. She was incredibly worried by what was going on, since she had been able to hear parts of what Julius and Akito had been yelling at each other, when she had gotten close enough. Despite her efforts she had missed them. When she arrived, Leila saw the bodies of both Shin and Jeanne lying together and understood that what was done was done. She could only hope that Akito's brother could finally find some rest and happiness in the afterlife. However, she quickly grew tense and nervous, knowing that she had to stop the fight. She ran straight down for where the two boys were, hoping that she wasn't too late.

* * *

Julius let out an angered growl, as he attempted to ignore the pain and get on his feet, but lifted his head to realize that Akito hadn't been beaten up by the fall as badly as him and was running at him. Julius' eyes widened before he could react, as he received a sharp uppercut, the force of which brought his whole body upwards. However, Akito was unable to land another successful hit, because of the backhanded swipe, which hit him through the face. Using all of his strength, Julius delivered a hard kick to the stunned Akito and sent him hurling a few feet forward back to the ground.

"Give it up, Hyuga. You're no match for me." Julius growled, as he stared down Akito, proving his superiority. However, Akito continued to burn through him with his glare and got up again, attempting a strike at Julius, only to be brought down to the ground again.

"Like hell I'm gonna let a bastard like you harm my friends!" Akito groaned, as he got up once more, seeing the angry look on Julius' face. The pain in his body wouldn't stop him. He had to defeat him, he had to win. "Julius!" Akito was somehow able to activate the Geass command on will, as the red circles returned around his blue irises.

Julius' fists shook with rage. His foe was unrelenting, but he was more than stubborn and strong enough to beat him as many times as it took. He was through holding back. If the Eleven before him wanted a fight to the death, he got one. "Akito!" Julius growled, as he blocked with his elbow an incoming right hook, then raised his knee to block a kick. The now berserk Akito was proving to be a hard challenge, but his adrenaline rush from the Geass was starting to reopen his slash wounds, which gradually took its toll on the Japanese teen's body. Julius used this opportunity to once more kick Akito back to the ground.

This time, however, he wouldn't give him a chance to stand up. Julius walked over to the recovering Akito and got over him on his knees. Akito attempted to stop him by grabbing his face, but a hard right hook to his face quickly loosened his grip. Julius brought up his left hand and delivered another punch with it, not giving Akito a chance to bring up his arms to defend himself. He repeated this action, until there was blood dripping from both Akito's nose and mouth.

Julius' pause allowed Akito to grab him by the neck of his pilot uniform, surprising the prince, and delivered a hard headbutt to the face of the violet eyed britannian. Stunning Julius, Akito then kicked him away from himself, as he then lay down on the ground panting, trying to catch his breath and ignore the pain from all of his wounds. After a few brief seconds he got to getting back up, which was an extremely painful process now.

"Why won't you stay down?!" Julius yelled in anger, as he was already to his feet, his mouth starting to fill with blood once more and his face almost in a condition as worse as Akito's. He wasn't losing, but why wasn't he winning? Julius was boiling with anger at this unanswerable question, as he watched Akito get back on his feet once more. The Eleven boy looked like he was barely staying conscious and hanging on his feet, but his eyes continued to glare at him without falter.

"Because, unlike you, I am not fighting for myself." Akito panted, as he wobbled on his feet, seeing that his words made the prince falter. He understood that it was perfectly clear that he wouldn't be able to defeat Julius, of that he was now painfully aware. The prince was simply too strong, holding his ground even when Akito had managed to call on the boost from the Geass affecting him. He felt like he would pass out from the pain and exhaustion at any moment.

"Akito!" Leila's worried voice snapped both beaten up boys' attention towards her, as they saw her running towards them through the trees.

"Leila…" Upon seeing her to be alright, Akito's feet finally gave away at him, as he dropped to his knees, using whatever little strength he had left to keep his body from slumping to the ground.

"Akito are you alright?!" Leila asked, as she ran over to him and embraced his kneeling roughened up frame. Worry began to fill her, as she got a close look on how badly Julius had managed to beat him.

Julius frowned at Leila's untimely arrival. "Great. Now the humanitarian is here." He spat venomously, grabbing Leila's attention.

Now that she was up close, Leila saw that Julius was indeed without his eyepatch and that his left eye was something not akin to a normal human. From whatever thoughts were currently swarming her head, she knew which took priority. "Why are the two of you fighting, prince Julius vi Britannia?" She asked sternly, with anger showing through her expression.

Before Julius could answer, Akito grabbed on to Leila's shoulder for support. "Don't let him deceive you, Leila. He was planning on having all of us killed when we had let our guard down." Akito said through the pain and fatigue he was feeling, making Leila's eyes widen and Julius frown.

"Is that true?" Leila asked, her cold gaze piercing the prince. "Answer me, Julius vi Britannia!" She didn't receive an answer, as Julius slightly lowered his head, so that his hair covered his eyes. Leila was both angered and saddened to hear that the prince was indeed the type of person to go back on his word. "I am disappointed. I believe that you aren't the monster that everyone makes you out to be, but you reject out of spite the very concept of kindness that others offer you."

Her words made Julius grind his teeth in anger, as he put his right hand over his face, covering his left eye, using whatever small amount of remaining self-restraint he had to not use his Geass again. "To hell with your kindness. It's worthless to someone like me." He spat venomously.

Leila let go of Akito, who eyed her curiously, before his will finally gave out on him and he fell down to the ground from exhaustion. She walked in front of Julius and looked him in the eye, his sole gaze making her understand that there were a lot of things eating him from the inside out. "Your desire to kill the emperor won't fulfil anything. Or do you simply wish to utterly destroy what's left of your life?" She said, remembering that the emperor was a trigger to his temper. "I understand that you miss your loved ones, but that isn't an excuse for this path of destruction you're not only forcing on yourself but on others."

"Why you…!" Julius growled, having warned her already. This topic was not to be brought up to him, ever. He didn't care if she had Geass, the woman in front of him would suffer for her foolishness. "Lowlifes like you do not deserve to speak of my family!" He yelled, as his anger was busting at the seams. "You are the same as all the other ignorant fools!" He growled, shaking with fury, seeing her eyeing him sadly. "I hate it! I loathe it with all my being! That damn look!" He yelled out, now completely having snapped, unable to calm himself down. "How dare you and everyone else look at me with pity!?" He roared, remembering how many times he had seen that meaningless look back at the homeland after his siblings' passing away. It aggravated him to no end, being at the mercy of others.

Leila, remained firm, wishing to get her point across, no matter how much effort it took her. "Compassion isn't something meant to harm others." She replied to the prince, recognizing that if she wasn't careful he could really kill her and Akito in his mental breakdown.

"To hell with your compassion!" Julius yelled, as he clutched at his head. "You don't know anything!" He continued having lost all rational thought. "You are just a pathetic naïve idealist!" He yelled uncontrollably, as Leila remained unflinching in her composure. "You don't know how much I've had to sacrifice, how much of myself I've discarded and destroyed in order to persevere and reach where I am now!" He raged, his veins showing from all the anger.

Leila was prepared for something harsh or very brutal, but the britannian prince's words did not ring of anger to her, they rung of pain and sadness. She understood that he had experienced way more than he was letting on and she could see the pain of overcoming the many grueling challenges in his way. "It is true that there are those who hurt others, but even so, humans can still love!" She argued back, wanting to somehow make the prince realize that there wasn't only darkness to humanity. "I know that you understand what I'm saying! Weren't there people you loved?!" Leila yelled back.

Julius growled uncontrollably. "That part of me was buried along with my family long ago!" He yelled. "There is no such thing that you speak of! What you call love doesn't exist in this hell!" He raged, as he discarded all reason and was going to use his Geass a second time. The last time he had done so, he was unable to use his left eye from the sheer amount of pain it was causing him. But that precaution was out through the window now. He was going to kill these two, even if he had to suffer a toll on his body. "There is no place for love in this world!" Julius roared. "If there was, my siblings would be alive! Evil is the only thing that thrives in this hell and to avenge my family I do not care how much of it I commit!"

"Would your family be happy to see you like this?" Leila asked him and watched as he recoiled slightly and faltered, the question most likely having been on his mind for a long time. She had to save this man from himself, for how could she make the world a better place if she could not save a single person in dire need. "Would they approve of the monster that you've allowed yourself to become?" She asked once more with a frown. "Is that the justice for the deaths of your family you want?"

Julius shook with fury, having no comeback to argue his case, since deep down he knew that what she said was true, but if he allowed himself to think as such who would avenge his siblings, who would do what needed to be done. The answer he had always reached was no one but himself, discarding almost all of the happy child prince that would have never thought about killing someone, all in order to survive within Britannia and rise higher in its competitive and unforgiving world.

He shook with mad laughter, unsettling Leila. "Justice? What is that?" He replied with a mad glint in his eyes. "There is only one thing of importance and that is strength!" He continued to laugh madly. "What you preach is the hope that the weak cling to! It is a concept that is nothing more than giving up! It holds no true meaning!"

"You're wrong and you know it! You simply do not wish to acknowledge it, because it would mean that everything you've done is meaningless!" Leila argued back, as she found herself subconsciously entering her martial arts stance.

Julius narrowed his eyes with sheer killing intent. "I've had enough of you." He said with a soulless voice, as his Geass began to glow. "Drown in the hell of your fears and die!" He declared, as his Geass activated, catching Leila within its range, as her eyes widened in disbelief, only for her own Geass to activate in her left eye, shining its blue color and counteract the prince's power.

The two Geass users were unable to comprehend what happened next, as they felt a strange connection establish, seemingly freeze time around them. Leila and Julius watched in utter disbelief as the world around them shifted and the ground disappeared with both of them falling down into the loop that both had experienced when they first received their Geass. The two were blinded by a flash of light, closing their eyes.

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter, folks! What I had meant when I said that I am skeptical about this chapter was that I am almost entirely sure that I did a poor job of tieing the events together, giving them value and spotlight to all important characters. Perhaps I could have made things develop differently, but this was how I felt I wanted the story to go. I can't promise that updates will be coming anytime soon, but I do hope that I am at least able to finish another chapter by the end of the month. The next chapter will be the conclusion to the Wyvern arc, bringing us ever closer to Area 11 and Zero. I would really appreaciate it if you would leave a review on your thoughts of how this chapter turned out (don't worry, you can be as critical as you'd like as long as its constructive criticism). Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Endings and Beginnings

**And I am back with another update, oh boy, I almost released a new chapter in the time frame of a week XD (I kinda feel sad for myself because of my laziness sometimes, but then I realize that my bed is really comfortable and I don't want to think about anything.) While I would like to be able to dish out new chapters in a similar speed, I wouldn't get my hopes up. Anyway, thank you guys for enjoying the previous chapter and I hope you have a blast with the end of the first arc of this story.**

* * *

Stage 15: Endings and Beginnings

* * *

When Julius next opened his eyes, he found himself on the side of a road, standing near some trees covered in snow. Confusion immediately settled in, as he was certain that he had been standing across Leila and Akito, but now seemingly found himself alone and with a changed scenery.

"Where am I?" He wondered out loud, as he looked around, now calmed down. He noted that he was on the side of a road during winter, but he couldn't understand what he was doing here, nor how he got here. The prince also realized that he was in his black and gold outfit he usually wore, though missing his eye-patch, which only further confused him. "What happened?"

His questions were then halted, as he watched a limousine pass by him, only for it to be rammed by another vehicle, causing it to flip over and crash. Julius frowned at the sight, with the flipped over car having had a leak from the crash and was beginning to ignite, while the offending vehicle drove off into the distance, leaving the crime scene. He knew that it was bound to explode any minute now, but then went wide eyed when he saw a small blond girl with blue eyes crawl out of the vehicle. With curiosity driving him he walked towards her, though it would seem that she didn't pay attention to him, as the girl turned back to the car with confusion and worry in her eyes.

"Mama?" The small girl called out, as Julius walked over to see what was happening. The prince saw a woman that resembled a grown-up Leila stuck in the vehicle with wounds all over from the crash. He gazed at her, she was apparently not registering his presence, which made him realize that they probably couldn't hear or see him, as she smiled at her daughter.

"Leila…" Claudia Breisgau called out to her daughter with a faint smile, shocking Julius, who realized what was going on. He was somehow witnessing Leila's memories, which he deduced was most likely the cause of the two Geass colliding, although he had no way to prove or disprove his theory. He watched as the vehicle was slowly consumed into flames. "run." Leila's mother gave her daughter her last words, leaving the prince speechless, as the car was consumed utterly by the flames.

He realized that the car was about to explode, as he turned to the small form of Leila, the little girl's eyes being filled with tears. He could feel his chest tighten from seeing this, it was too close to what he had experienced and it made him realize that he wasn't the only one suffering through unbearable pain. Yet, Leila never showed signs of it. She didn't even seek vengeance or anything of the sort. Julius was utterly confused, but paced after the crying form of the little girl into the snow covered forest. He watched as Leila glanced behind her towards the car, as tears fell down her cheeks while she ran for her life, the car soon exploding behind them.

Julius chased after the little girl, as they reached a frozen lake, which Leila in her state was unable to understand was too thin to run on. Realizing what was about to happen, Julius did something he never thought that he would do. "No, don't run that way!" He desperately tried to warn the little girl not wanting to see what would happen next, as he watched her continue, the ice cracking beneath her feet and the little girl falling into the cold water.

A chill ran down his spine, as she didn't rise to the surface. He didn't want to see this. He didn't want to look at the poor girl being betrayed by the world around her. It wasn't fair, just like how it was unfair that his mother was killed and his siblings cast away. He looked down at his shaking hands and frowned.

The ruthless and sadistic Julius vi Britannia would have never helped someone else if he had nothing to gain of it, but the prince didn't see just anyone fall into the lake and about to drown. He saw Leila as his own crushed childhood and just like her at the moment, it was slowly being drowned away. Julius knew well that the strength needed to prosper in Britannia came at a price, his own conscience and sanity. But now, looking at the slowly drowning little girl, he understood that his supposed strength was slowly erasing everything he held onto, as the feelings of anguish and anger filled him.

"Damn it!" He cursed, clenching his fists, as he ran into the lake to save her. If he let her drown now, then that would be the same as letting go of everything he held dear and leaving it to wither away. He was about to jump into the freezing water, when he stopped himself, shocked by the familiar presence he saw.

Julius watched as the same green haired woman, who had given him his Geass and had been at his home when his mother was killed, reached into the water and picked up Leila out of certain death. He continued to observe the exchange between the two, realizing that this was when Leila acquired her Geass.

The woman soon left, followed by some strange children, leaving Julius utterly flabbergasted. It would seem that he wasn't the only one that that green haired woman had given Geass to. The prince's gaze shifted to the soaked Leila. The little girl's confusion from what the woman had told her had washed away and now she simply sobbed, as she got back to solid ground.

"Mama… papa…" The little Leila cried on the ground, curling up in the snow, not knowing what to do next. Her tears began to sting at her face from the sharp cold. She felt so afraid that her body simply refused to move.

Julius clenched his fists and ground his teeth. Did he see this exact memory for a purpose? He didn't know and he likely wouldn't. However, he shared some sympathy for the little girl. Left alone, with no family, no friends, nothing. She only had her will and strength, just like he did. But even with her Geass, there was nothing she could do. Even with power she was still helpless.

Julius looked to his own hands, which he realized weren't shaking with anger, but with anxiety. He swallowed hard, as he started to understand that power didn't guarantee anything. In essence, nothing had changed. He had nothing, but that didn't mean that he had nothing left to lose. That subconscious fear of losing someone or something still gnawed at him and would likely never stop. Turning himself into a monster of a human being did nothing to relieve it. In fact, he felt that his mental health only deteriorated faster. But he had resolved himself to a purpose. He would see his vengeance through no matter the cost. His own life was nothing worth clinging to.

As he watched the crying girl freeze to death with his frustrated thoughts, he soon realized that there were European soldiers running towards the girl, likely having been searching for her, as relief washed over their faces when one called out to the others that he had found Leila. Julius stepped back and watched one of the soldiers pick up Leila, while another covered the poor girl with a warm cloth to relieve her from the cold.

"So that was your beginning, huh." Julius noted, watching on as the soldiers carried the young Leila away. His calm observing, however, soon ended. "Agh!" He groaned in pain and grit his teeth to prevent himself from screaming out from the stinging pain he was feeling in his left eye, as he began to clutch it with both of his hands now over his face, the Geass in his eye pulsing maliciously.

The very space around him began to crack, as the subconscious realm began to fall apart, until Julius felt like he was falling somewhere once more.

* * *

Leila opened her eyes, no longer blinded by light. The first thing she took notice was that Julius vi Britannia and Akito were nowhere to be seen. The next was that she was in what looked like a corridor of a palace.

"Where am I?" She wondered, as she walked down the hallway. She had no idea what had happened, nor how she had arrived at this place. Looking at the pictures on the walls and gazing through the windows, she figured that she was at some sort of estate, as she continued walking around, curiously inspecting.

The first thing that surprised Leila was the fact that no one could see or hear her. It was as if she were a ghost, wondering aimlessly through the hallways.

However, the blond girl soon stopped herself when she saw a very familiar looking boy with black hair and purple eyes. She immediately recognized him as Julius vi Britannia, but she couldn't understand why he was so young. She watched the boy with a troubled expression curiously, as he strolled down the hallway at a quick pace, ignoring anyone in his path, which prompted her to follow after him.

Leila walked along with the prince into a room, which she figured was most likely his, as the younger version of the prince locked the door behind him. She felt her breath get stuck into her throat by watching what followed.

Julius was visibly shaking, though not with anger as she originally suspected but with sadness, evidenced by his pained expression. She watched him take out a small charred piece of a chess board from his inner pocket and stare at it.

"Why…?" The younger Julius spoke in a sorrowful voice, as he continued to shake. "Why couldn't you listen?" He managed to utter, as tears formed in his eyes threatening to flow out, as the young boy clutched the charred piece.

It finally dawned on Leila what was going on, as she let out a surprised gasp. She was witnessing a memory of the prince's, unsure why and how, but proceeded to watch silently, hoping that maybe it would help her understand him. What she didn't know that she was witnessing a memory of the time after the funeral held for the prince's family and she wouldn't be prepared for what she was about to witness.

The prince was currently at a remote estate, having taken residence there until the Aries Villa was repaired. He had rejected living with Cornelia and Euphemia, much to his sisters' insistence. The two had watched him leave with sadness in their hearts, but theirs was yet to come close to the one the young prince felt.

"Why did you leave me alone?" The young prince continued to shake, his voice growing on the verge of crying. "Why did you and Nunnally have to die, Lelouch?!" Julius finally snapped, dropping to his knees and crying.

Leila was pained by what she saw, but even more so by the fact that the young prince was desperately trying to keep himself from crying, but his attempts were failing. There was no stopping his despair. She watched sorrowfully the crying boy, realizing that he was crushed by the deaths of his siblings. She didn't know much about them, as there was next to no information about them. Leila wondered if they had probably meant everything to the young prince and seeing the current situation, she was most likely correct.

Leila wanted to help ease the pain of the young boy, knowing what it was like to lose your loved ones, but knew that she was incapable of such a feat. She was nothing but an observing ghost here, after all. Through that observing, she realized that the prince wasn't wearing an eye-patch and his left eye was normal like the right one, which made her confused as to what brought about the change.

Minutes passed, until they gradually became into hours, as the young prince's tears finally stopped flowing and instead an expression of emptiness settled on his face. Leila watched as the young Julius thumped down on the floor on his back, lying there like a corpse. "I miss you." The young prince muttered meekly, as he felt the pressure of the whole world trying to crush him. He was scared, of the void surrounding him, of his own mysterious power which he knew nothing about, of everything.

However, Leila became alerted from hearing gunshots resound outside the room. She immediately understood what this memory was of. It was no secret that there were many assassination attempts taken on the prince, but she had never expected this. Was there really someone sick enough out there to target a boy, who mourned for his family? Understanding that she could do nothing but watch in acceptance, Leila steeled herself, as she saw the young Julius look up in confusion and brush away his tears, putting up the strong front he used to hide away his pain.

She followed after him, as he nervously walked out of the room and towards the main hall, her own anxiety rising by the second. Her fears came true, when they stopped at the open door of the room, seeing dead bodies of servants and pools of blood inside.

Leila felt like she would throw up, since somehow, even though she was a ghost, the smell of blood filled the air and gnawed at her. She turned to see the young prince look on in horror and turn to run, only to realize that they were surrounded by armed men with masks on their face, which Leila understood were most likely mercenaries.

She was utterly disgusted by what she saw next, as the armed men grabbed the small prince and threw him against the wall, eliciting a pained groan from him.

"We've finally found you, brat." One of the mercenaries said. "Let's hurry up and kill him so we can get that reward money!" Another said, as they all took aim at the young boy, who watched in sheer horror.

"So my mother and siblings weren't enough. You want me dead too." Julius' voice reeked of the fear of death filling him.

"Nothing personal, kid. It's just how good cash is made." One of the armed chuckled.

Leila wouldn't stand for this barbarism. She wasn't about to let a child get killed in such a ruthless way. "Stop it!" Leila yelled out, placing herself in front of the prince like a barrier and spreading her arms out. Her actions, however, held no significance and weren't able to change anything, as she turned around to see the fear on the prince's expression. The fear of dying a pointless and empty death.

She was about to close her eyes, not wanting to look at what happened next, but stopped herself, her eyes widening when she saw the Geass in the prince's left eye activate, her own also turning on to show her what truly happened in that instance.

"I hate you." Julius muttered, as his body shook with fear.

"Hmm? What was that?" The men laughed.

Julius was utterly disgusted. If this was what humanity was supposed to be, then there was no use for him to cling to pointless concepts like kindness and hope. "I hate everything in this hell!" The young boy yelled out, wishing for the sick world to disappear, to suffer like he did.

She watched as the red energy field expanded, failing to recognize that the power was feeding off of its user's own fear and was growing in strength, to the point that it could crush the minds of those affected in seconds. Leila was utterly horrified, as the people around them began screaming madly clutching their heads, beginning to claw at their own faces, drawing blood. The screaming and horrific imagery she turned away from not to look at didn't stop until all of the mercenaries lay dead in pools of their own blood.

She turned to Julius, who had a surprised and horrified expression, figuring that the young prince was most likely not accustomed to using his power at that point in time. She watched him rise to his feet, the field created by his Geass disappearing, though the sigil remained in his eye, as he backpedaled, wanting to escape the literal hell he had unknowingly created. His face was that of sheer terror and confusion, his voice having stuck in his throat, unable to neither speak nor scream. Julius turned to run, but the boy failed to realize in his panicked state that there was a corpse right in front of him and tripped on it, falling into the pool of blood.

Leila didn't want to see more, but was forced to watch, as the boy looked at his hands covered in blood and shook with fear at the devastation he had caused once more. He was just a young child and yet his hands were already drenched in blood. Leila felt sick to her stomach, as she covered her mouth, desperately trying to reel herself in and somehow ignore the bloodbath around her. She now understood the horror that Julius had experienced and didn't even want to imagine the rest, as she wanted this all to end. This memory was too painful and soul crushing for her to bear.

The young Julius quickly crawled away from the corpse in fear, the Geass in his left eye not disappearing, but then stopped himself, as he was unable to take any more of the scenery and smell. He dropped down to the ground and reluctantly emptied his stomach's contents.

When he was finally able to stand up, the prince immediately took off running, followed by Leila, who was wondering what more could she possibly see. However, she quickly understood that the prince had no control over his power, as it continued to activate, with each time the field's radius becoming larger and larger. What neither she nor the young Julius knew was that as the field became large enough to encompass the whole estate, anyone unfortunate enough to have been in the vicinity was now nothing more than a tormented corpse.

Julius ran, his own fear controlling him, with his Geass growing in strength rapidly. The Geass continued to pulse, until an unbearable pain surged through Julius' left eye. "Aaah!" The young boy began to scream out in pain, dropping to his knees, clutching his left eye, as blood seeped out from its socket, which made Leila freeze from shock.

When he finally stopped screaming, Leila walked over to him and was instantly horrified. There was a clear trail of blood left from his left eye, which went down his soulless face. Leila realized that he had passed out from the pain, as the Geass disappeared from the bleeding eye, which became void like the other.

Leila watched the prince fall down to the ground unconscious and approached him ever so cautiously. She kneeled down next to the passed out boy and attempted to touch him, only for her hand to pass right through him like a ghost. Leila felt awful that she could do nothing. She sat there understanding why the prince had such a cruel outlook on life.

While she was thinking on what she had seen, she jumped to her feet alarmed, when the whole space around her started to crack like broken glass. "What is going on?" Leila wondered, as an eerie aura washed over her, making a chill crawl down her spine. Shadows seeped out of nowhere and began to reach for her, prompting the blond girl to rise to her feet and move away from them, only for the whole scenery to break, becoming pitch black. Leila fell down the abyss, her whole mind racing to understand what was going on.

* * *

Leila and Julius blinked, as they realized that they were back in the real world, time resuming from where it had left off. The whole experience had been something that neither of them had bargained for.

Julius immediately clutched his eye and grit his teeth, as the pain he had felt inside that memory resurfaced the moment his Geass' effect had passed. The pain was the same as he remembered, though that didn't make it any less grueling, as he felt his blood starting to drip down his face from his eye socket, letting out a pained growl.

"What happened…?" Akito muttered out in confusion, trying to stand up, as for him Leila and Julius simply stared off, then suddenly the prince started to clutch his face and looked to be in pain. He watched as Leila slightly recoiled in fear from the agonizing prince. "Leila!" Akito called out to her in worry, as his feet didn't listen to him and gave out underneath him, making him fall back to his knees.

Hearing his voice, Leila turned to the wounded Japanese and immediately returned to his side to help support him. "It's alright, Akito. He won't do us any harm, trust me." She assured the boy she loved to believe in her ability to turn this around. She was now more sure than ever that Julius needed her help, no, their help. Akito looked her in the eyes with skepticism for a brief second, but quickly gave a nod of agreement, as he smiled at her.

"Guh!" Julius writhed in pain, as he wasn't particularly fond of his Geass' side effect whenever he used it without waiting for some time to pass. That was one of his Geass' weaknesses he had painfully found out through testing. The Geass needed at least an hour of no usage to avoid the physical repercussions he was currently experiencing. In hindsight overloading his Geass was a rather small price to pay, considering that Julius had achieved full control over it.

Akito and Leila both watched blood stream down the left side of the prince's face. Akito winced, as he was sure that that wasn't a pleasant experience in the slightest. Leila, on the other hand, felt sympathy for Julius, as she had experienced some of what he had gone through. "It must hurt a lot." She said sadly to the prince.

"Spare me your pity." Julius growled out, as the pain started to numb, no longer feeling the burning sting in his eye. "It's not something that bothers me." The britannian prince said, as he removed his hands from his left eye, which he kept closed due to the pain, with the trail of blood across his face still fresh, as some drops fell down to the grass beneath his feet. He looked at Leila and Akito, noticing that the blond girl was eyeing him sadly while the Eleven seemed to hold some lingering aggression towards him. Leila's memory was fresh in Julius' mind and he had questions about what he had seen, but the biggest one had been eating at him ever since he learned of her past. "Why do you believe in humanity?" The question was clear and to the point. "They took everything from you and left you to die, so why hold faith in others?"

Leila's features relaxed, as she answered calmly. "It's just how I always have been. I trust in the good of others, like my mother and father raised me." She smiled, briefly remembering the happy times she had spent with her family during her early childhood, gaining a doubting look from Julius. "Don't misunderstand me, I am not ignorant of all the pain and sadness our world holds, but I know that it can be overcome and that humanity could live peacefully." She stated.

"You're wrong. It can't be overcome, because that's what we as humans are." Julius frowned. "The small sparks of kindness and love we hold are easily extinguished by the violence and destruction." He spoke bitterly. "You speak of saving others, but there are those who do not deserve any type of forgiveness." Julius' voice started to fill with anger, as he clenched his fists, thinking about his father. "This disgusting world is filled with people like that. The only thing that it deserves are monsters like me."

Leila shook her head to the side, understanding where the prince was coming from, but she rejected his world without light and hope. "Does inflicting pain on yourself and others help you? Does it lessen the pain you feel from being alone?" She asked, making Julius flinch. "What will your revenge achieve? It won't bring back your family and it won't heal your pain."

Julius clenched his fists, knowing that Leila's words were true, but he simply didn't wish to listen to them. "Then what was I supposed to do?!" He yelled out in anger. "Simply forget about my family and move on, leaving the one responsible for their deaths to go free?! Like hell!" Julius raged. "I reject to live an empty lie!"

Listening to the prince, Akito decided to speak up. He was all too familiar with the concept of an empty life. Thinking about it, before he met Leila, he wasn't that much different from Julius. They both wanted to destroy the ones that ruined their lives and both wanted nothing more than their lives of pain to end. "Then you will throw everything away? I know full well how tempting the hatred and anger are." Akito said, gaining a worried look from Leila and a curious frown from Julius.

"Don't compare yourself to me!" Julius growled. "Everything that I have achieved and who I am now, I have accomplished alone. The only reason I stand is because of my strength and will!" The prince glared at the two.

"Is strength the only thing you value?" Leila asked, frowning. "Strength doesn't assure happiness. You chase the past, too afraid to look into the future." She said, making Julius growl, before she continued. "This world is more beautiful than any of us could perceive. Why do you so desperately reject giving it another chance?" She asked with a kind smile.

"What other reason do I have to live?" Julius said, as he calmed down somewhat and looked to the sky. "I treasure my past, because it was the only time I felt loved. But now, there is next to nothing left of that both in me, nor anyone else." The prince's voiced turned mournful. "Besides," He touched the blood on his face. "I am already beyond saving."

"So that's what you think?" Akito said, as he looked sternly at the prince, who gazed back. "The deeper the darkness that surrounds you, the brighter the light shines when it finally comes."

Julius frowned, not understanding what the Eleven meant. "What are you talking about?"

"Let us help you." Leila said, shocking the prince. "There is no need for you to suffer alone. We've all experienced our share of pain and tragedy, but together we grow stronger and overcome them." She smiled, gaining a nod from Akito.

"Why do you wish to save me?!" Julius frowned, but then the gears in the prince's head turned, as he quickly realized that like he had seen some of her memory, she most likely saw his. Julius immediately became anxious about not knowing what the girl now knew. He was vulnerable and she could ruin him with ease. And yet she didn't. Why did she and the Eleven tried so hard to get close to him? "Why are you so bent on persuading me?" He asked, an unnoticably small hint of desperation evident in his voice.

"Because I know that you could be so much more than you are currently." Leila smiled at him, making the prince stare at her as if he were shot. "There is no need for any more fighting. The two of you are both badly injured, so I beg of you, please stop this senseless bloodshed." Leila looked at the prince pleadingly in the eye.

Julius was stunned silent. A part of him desperately wished to trust Leila and Akito's words, but another knew that there was no way for them to be true. He had grown too cynical, but his mind still argued with itself, unable to give an answer. Was he going to continue with his original intentions and kill them all, potentially making another nightmare to haunt him. Was he to finally give in after all these years and allow someone else to become close to him. The only ones he dared to allow a small spec of his trust were his servants and Euphemia.

Leila and Akito both felt the lasting silence, as they could see the inner conflict brewing within the prince. His seeing eye reflected the desperation rooted inside him and both hoped he would reach the answer his heart yearned for.

Julius let out a sigh, his inner struggle finally ending, when he realized that the two people in front of him weren't weak as he had initially labelled them. On the contrary, both had overcome their awful circumstances and now stood opposing him. He owed them a chance, if only to honor their resolve. He didn't know why, but for some reason he remembered Nunally and how sad she would have been if she saw how repulsive his current self was. That proved to be the final nail in the coffin, as Julius' arms slumped down beside him. "It would seem that I... have lost." He muttered calmly, smiling weakly. Maybe he could experience what having friends was like.

Leila and Akito both went wide eyed with disbelief for a brief second, until the former beamed happily, while the latter simply had a satisfied smirk on his face. "Thank you for trusting us, prince Julius." Leila smiled at him.

"Just Julius is fine." Julius said with a nonchalant swipe of his hand, shocking both of his new friends. "Both of you are more than worthy to stand on equal ground with me, so I wish to respect that." The prince had next to no experience when it came to having friends, since the only people he had been close with when he was younger were members of the royal family and the only one who ever claimed and acted like he was his friend was Gino, but Julius was quite sure that that was a one-sided relationship. "I acknowledge you." The prince said, chuckling to himself, finding this amusing. This was the first time he had ever spoken to someone outside the royal family and the Knights of the Round like an equal. "I acknowledge you as a king." He told Leila, who stared at him dumbfounded.

"King?" Leila blinked, pointing to herself, as both she and Akito didn't quite understand what the prince meant, not to mention that both were still stunned by the change in treatment. "Me?"

Julius rolled his eye, letting out an amused sigh. "The power which you and I possess." He told her, pointing to his blood stained left eye, jotting her memory.

Leila's eyes widened, remembering her time with the green haired witch of the forest. "The Geass?" She asked, wondering if that was what she had called it.

"Correct." Julius nodded, as he walked over to Leila and Akito and brought his hand out for a handshake, surprising Leila. "I will say it once more, so it can get through that thick head of yours." He chuckled. "Leila Breisgau, I, twelfth prince of Britannia, Julius vi Britannia, recognize you as a fellow king." He declared firmly.

"Thank you, Julius." She smiled brightly at the prince, as they ended their handshake, after which the Britannian looked at the Japanese with whom he had fought.

"You are strong, Akito Hyuga, but I am stronger." Julius smirked, wondering if this was perhaps what it felt to find someone that fought against him on the same level.

"No kidding. Your punches felt like I was being hit with a hammer." Akito joked, as the two shared a smirk, before Akito became surprised when Julius grabbed his free arm and threw it over his shoulder, allowing the blue haired teen to lean on his back. "What are you…?" Akito was cut off before he could finish his question.

"You can barely stand up with the way you currently are." Julius said nonchalantly, a small satisfied smile resting on his face from pride that he had beaten the teen on his back. "I'll help carry you back so that the doctors can fix you up."

"You aren't in any better shape yourself." Akito smirked, annoying the prince, but he was still grateful for the help. "Thanks." He smiled at the man who had been his mortal enemy just a few minutes ago.

"Instead of thanking me, you should better yourself so that next time you can be a proper rival to me." Julius said, as they began to walk back towards the castle, with Akito using him as support. The prince didn't really like to admit it, but right in this current moment, he felt calm and relaxed, a disposition which he rarely got to experience. For just that he was grateful to these two new friends he had made.

Leila watched the two identically dressed boys and couldn't keep her cheerful smile from showing. She was filled with joy to know that she had really succeeded in bringing out the human side of the homicide prince. "The two of you make really good friends, after all." She giggled, as she skipped over to them.

Akito simply smiled at her, while Julius rolled his seeing eye in annoyance. "I don't think that I will ever understand what's going on in that head of yours, miss Breisgau." Julius smirked at her.

"You should call us by our first names too." Leila told the prince, feeling a little awkward from the formal way he was addressing her. "I feel as old as my mother when you call me like that." Her response elicited snickers to come out of both boys, which in turn made her pout that they were making fun of her. "Don't laugh, I am serious!"

"Hmph, sure, Leila." Julius smirked, however decided to change the topic of the conversation to a more important one. "We will have to talk about Geass at some point." He said, making both Leila and Akito's features turn serious. "If we share what we know, then maybe we'll come to understand more about the power of the king and that strange green haired woman."

Leila nodded affirmatively. This was indeed a matter she wished to discuss. She also grew curious, when Julius brought up the green haired woman. "You've met her too?" She asked, curious.

"Yes, she's the one who gave me my Geass." Julius nodded. "When our Geass collided earlier, I also experienced some of your memories, so I also know that she has made contact with you too." He said, but then moved on to a question that was gnawing at him. "On that thought, did you see some of my memories?" He asked, dead serious.

"Yes." Leila lowered her head and her gaze saddened. She really didn't wish to recall that awful sight. It churned her insides simply remembering the awful smell.

"I see…" Julius simply registered the sentiment and let it be. There was no point in bringing it up now. He had decided to trust these people. He didn't need to explain himself to them.

Akito stayed in thought, feeling regretful that his brother couldn't help by sharing what he knew. As he wondered on the subject of Geass and how it affected others, Leila decided to voice her concern.

"Aren't the both of you in pain?" She asked worried, looking at all the blood that was on both boys. She hurried to find a napkin on herself. "At least let me clean the blood off."

"It's alright, Leila." Akito assured her with a smile. "We'll live."

"Akito…" Leila was still worried about both of them, especially Akito, who was in worse shape.

Julius stayed silent and observed the exchange, noting that the two looked at each other in a strange way. After a few seconds, the idea dawned on him that perhaps the two were together, which he figured made sense, considering all of the times he had seen them interacting with one another. The purple eyed prince smirked inwardly to himself, pleased by the fact that he had found a weakness of theirs to amuse himself with for later.

However, neither of the three knew that a pair of ethereal pink eyes were watching them from within the forest. With a satisfied smile, the dimensional supervisor vanished into nothingness.

* * *

"This waiting around in suspense is killing me!" Ryo groaned, as he walked around with Yukiya, Ayano and Ashley inside the castle. The small team of doctors of the W-0 had their work cut out for them with taking care of both Britannian and Europian soldiers. Thankfully, the Britannian medics had also opted to help, so the procedure was flowing smoothly.

The Japanese pilot had noted that the Britannian soldiers weren't as he had initially perceived them. Knights conversed casually with each other and members of the W-0. All and all the air of battle was gone and everyone was glad about that. Now they only needed Leila, Akito and Julius to return, so that this mess could officially be solved.

"You're right." Yukiya nodded, not minding the presence of all of the britannians in the slightest. As long as they didn't threaten or insult his friends, then he wouldn't mind them. "I'm feeling anxious as well."

"No kidding." Ayano was practically sweating buckets. She had never been in one place with so many britannians at once and it was clear as day that it wasn't good on her nerves. The pink eyed girl had been raised believing that all britannians were terrible people, but now she got to see that that wasn't the case, a prime example of which being Ashley, who was stuffing his face with sandwiches.

"Loosen up you guys. Everything will be fine." The orange haired knight said, as he swallowed in one bite half of the large sandwich in his hands, earning an incredulous stare from Ayano.

"Grr! Stop stuffing your face when you speak!" Ayano yelled at him, unable to take it anymore. However, she didn't realize that she had raised her voice a little too high and now all the attention was on her. She immediately grew nervous, as all eyes were on her, but then everyone started laughing cheerfully at the expense of Ashley, who was also laughing. Ayano's entire face flushed beet red, as she wished she could bury herself underground from shame.

"C'mon, don't be a stick in the mud!" Ashley laughed with a grin on his face, as he slapped Ayano on the back, making her exclaim in surprise. "Cheer up!"

Ryo and Yukiya both felt sympathy for the orange haired knight, as they smiled smugly at him. "Yukiya, at this rate Ashley's gonna be dead meat." Ryo smiled.

"I agree." Yukiya nodded sarcastically. "Ayano's not gonna forgive him this time."

"Huh?" Ashley turned to look at Ayano, who was grinding her team and was practically emitting steam from how angry she was. "Oh boy…" Ashley smiled nervously.

"Why you…!" Ayano growled, as her hands shivered with killing intent. Ashley immediately took a b-line for it, with the black haired girl chasing after him. "Get back here!"

Ryo and Yukiya shared another laugh with the rest of the people in the room. Brondello and Dore both watched on with amused sighs. It was always better to end a conflict like this than for the two sides to ravage each other to the bone. They were sorrowful about all of their fallen comrades, but they knew that they died an honorable death befitting the proud knights that they were.

The rest of the W-0 shared in the light-hearted atmosphere, although they were still worried about Leila and Akito. Claus and Oscar were sharing a drink with some of the soldiers and doctors, while Sophie and her team were finishing up treating the wounded. Sarah and Olivia were chatting with the Britannian knights, sharing their military stories with each other. Anna and her assistants brought everyone refreshments. Overall, no one had a complaint about the current peaceful situation, except for Ashley, who was desperately trying to calm Ayano down, while Ryo and Yukiya simply laughed at him.

The joyful atmosphere came to a halt, when the trio of Leila and the beaten up and bloodied Akito and Julius entered the room.

"Your majesty!" All of the britannian knights were on their feet, concerned for the well-being of their prince.

"Leila! Akito!" The members of the W-0 exclaimed in happiness when they saw the two alive and well, as far as Leila was concerned.

However, everyone immediately became confused when they realized that Akito was being supported by Julius. The knights were silent as they were stunned by the fact that the infamous homicide prince was helping out an Eleven pilot. The same held true for the W-0, as their eyes were wide with disbelief.

Julius had seen how cheerful everyone had been with each other. It honestly surprised him that these people of different nationalities weren't at each other's throats. He realized that maybe there was indeed some truth to Leila's belief.

"Your majesty, you're hurt!" Brondello exclaimed, as he and Dore approached the imperial prince.

"I am alright." Julius said sternly, dismissing their worry for him, earning a dissatisfied glance from Leila. "Get this idiot some medical attention." He pointed to Akito on his side, who feigned that he was hurt by the prince's words.

"You know, I am starting to feel like you're a real jerk." Akito smirked at the prince, throwing back the jab that Julius had first sent. Everyone in the room froze still, knowing that no one got away with acting like that to the prince. However, their surprise increased when Julius only scoffed.

"For your sake, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you." Julius replied with a smirk of his own, as he then handed Akito over to Dore, who took the injured pilot over to Sophie and her team.

Everyone stared expectantly at Leila and Julius, the de-facto leaders of both groups, waiting for answers to their unspoken questions. Julius glanced to Leila, who nodded to him with a small smile. The prince inhaled a deep breath and began.

"Enough fighting has been done here." Julius said, as everyone listened to his words. "I want those who are free of injury to give the deceased a proper burial. Enough blood has been shed here." The prince gave his orders. "The fate of this base and its inhabitants will be discussed tomorrow. I do not wish to be bothered anymore for today." Julius said, as he wiped of some of the blood on his face. "You are free to return to what you were doing. That is all." He said, as he walked away, heading towards the room which he had used the previous night.

After he left, confused whispers started to go around. The knights weren't even sure that that was the same prince who was renowned for his ruthlessness. Still, the topic died down, as the Britannians soon got to gathering their dead and honoring their loss. While they did that, the rest of the W-0 swarmed Leila and Akito.

"You're alive!" Anna cried tears of joy, while Chloe and Hilda smiled contently next to her.

"Damn it, you made us all worry like crazy." Claus smiled, glad to see the two return safe and sound.

"Thank you everyone." Leila smiled at her unit, as she went over to Akito, who was being patched up by Joe Wise.

"Damn, Akito, someone did a real number on you." Ryo smirked at his friend, as he and the rest walked over.

"Get in a fist fight with Julius and we'll see if you fare any better." Akito replied sourly, not minding the fact that he surprised everyone with his way of addressing the prince.

"The britannian prince did this to you?! And you also sound like the two of you are buddies now?!" Ayano exclaimed, utterly shocked.

"Don't worry everyone, prince Julius isn't a threat to anyone here." Leila relieved everyone. She was glad that the prince didn't walk alone in the darkness anymore and also proud of the fact that she and Akito had become the revenge obsessed imperial's first real friends. "He doesn't consider us enemies anymore."

Everyone noted Leila's words, their curiosity kindled by the development, but Yukiya voiced his question to Akito. "What about your brother, Akito?" The still bandaged green eyed boy asked.

Akito's face turned remorseful, but a content smile placed itself on his face. "He's in a better place now. I am sure that he will be able to find the happiness he couldn't here." The blue haired Japanese said with a kind voice, as Sophie finished applying pain relief to his bruises on his face and his cuts were bandaged.

"Well, as long as you are content, it's ok." Yukiya shrugged, figuring that if Akito was alright and satisfied with the conclusion, then he didn't need anything more.

"That prince!" Ryo punched his fist into his palm. "I am so gonna get him for handing our asses to us like that!" He turned around to head towards Julius' room to give him a piece of his mind, but found himself stop, when Akito caught him by the arm.

"He asked to be left alone, so it's best we don't bother him." Akito said firmly, understanding the need to be left alone with your thoughts.

"Yes." Leila nodded. "He most likely has a lot on his mind." She said, figuring that he would need some time to adjust himself and take in everything that had transpired. She understood the immense amount of mental fortitude that he was exercising to always appear unfazed and unreachable in front of others.

"Well, if you say so." Ryo surrendered, understanding that it would be better to trust Leila's decision than to go on and potentially ruin everything.

Leila thought for a few seconds and turned to Sophie. "Dr. Randle, could you prepare another batch of pain reliefs and bandages?"

"Sure, Leila." The red haired doctor nodded, though she was curious for what did the commander need them.

"Great, thank you!" Leila smiled, as she turned around to leave. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I need to go and get something." She waved to the others, who sent her off, while she held in her other hand the activation key to the Caligula. Leila figured that Julius didn't want anybody to see his left eye, so she figured that she could go and get his eyepatch for him.

* * *

Inside his room, Julius had washed the blood off his face and cleaned the bruises. Undressing from the top of the W-0 pilot uniform and hurling it to the floor, he sat down on the bed and rested his face in his hands. The pain in his left eye had almost disappeared completely, so at least he didn't have to deal with it further.

However, he had another matter heaving on his mind. Could he really trust Leila and Akito? Could he share with them everything that tormented him and would they stay beside him? What if they betrayed him? Perhaps it was the years he had spent without anyone close to his real thoughts and intentions, but Julius felt anxious and unsure of what he was supposed to do.

As much as he wished to deny it, even he could see the bits of truth in Leila's ideology. Still, that didn't make the acceptance any less harder for him. He knew that his emotions had numbed from all of the killing, which made him understand that trying to rekindle them was most likely going to be a hard process. Julius was fully aware of how unstable he was in that aspect, but he couldn't help it. Whenever his anger started to take hold of him, he would gradually let loose of the reins to the point where he would perhaps even put someone in danger unintentionally.

Then there was also the fear of letting someone else in. He had gotten so used to being alone and hide his ambitions of revenge that he thought that he wasn't possibly capable of sharing them with strangers. Or was it simply his fear of allowing someone to become dear to him, only for him to lose them again. The prince didn't even know at this point. His head was a mess.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, the prince rose up from the mattress of the bed and decided to take a shower. Whenever his thoughts tangled up like this, he found it best to simply wipe the slate clean and start anew. As the water showered his body, Julius massaged his jaw, still feeling sore from his fight with Akito. He had to admit that the only one who ever roughened him up more was Nonette, but Akito had proven to not be a push over like the prince had initially thought.

Exiting out of the shower with only a towel hanging over the shoulders of his naked body, Julius no longer felt the stinging in his left eye and decided to open it. He took a good look at himself in the mirror, inspecting for any changes in his Geass, but he was treated to the offsetting color of his left eye like usual. He didn't feel any different than usual either. Julius let out a sigh, figuring that whatever backlash his Geass was giving him, ever since he overloaded it, would remain a literal pain to deal with, and proceeded to dry himself. What he didn't notice was the single silver hair on his bangs that was drowned out from the black.

When he was done, he had proceeded to dress into his black and gold garbs, only to stop midway, when knocking came on his door, which annoyed the prince.

"Julius," Leila's voice came through the door. "Is it okay if we come in?"

Julius was dressed in his black and gold pants and tank top, but he hadn't put on his caped jacket. "Yes, you can enter." The prince said, as he put on his black gloves and placed his hand over his left eye.

The door to the room opened, with Leila entering, but to the prince's surprise she wasn't with just Akito but rather the other three Elevens as well, whose curious gazes were directed at Julius. The artificial lights in the room were turned off and the only source of lighting was coming from the late afternoon setting of the sun through the open window.

"I don't understand why those three are with you." Julius' right eye narrowed, as he voiced his concern.

"We didn't mean to intrude." Ryo raised his hands, indicating that they weren't coming with any hostile intentions.

"We were only curious as to the change of heart you had." Yukiya noted rather dully.

Ayano, however, was interested as to why Julius was covering the left side of his face. "Why do you hide your left eye?" She noted curiously, remembering that there had been blood traces over his face and earning a frown from the prince.

Akito closed and locked the door behind him, to ensure that no one could barge in on them, as he then turned to the hostile Julius. "It's ok. You can trust everyone in this room." The blue haired teen tried to assure the purple eyed prince.

Julius wished to reject Akito's statement, but Leila getting in his face prevented him from doing so. "You left without getting your bruises and wounds treated." She said with a worried tone.

"I am fine. I don't have any injuries that require attention." Julius told her, as he unconsciously took a step back to distance himself from Leila.

"Then at least let us bandage your eye." Akito said, as Julius glanced to him. "You looked like you were in a lot of pain when it started bleeding." Akito's words prompted the curiosity of the other three Japanese pilots.

Julius let out a defeated sigh. "It doesn't hurt anymore, so I am fine." He said, as he removed his hand from his face, but kept his left eye closed.

Leila walked forward and handed Julius his eyepatch. "Here." She said, as Julius took the item from her hand. "I thought that maybe you prefer to have it on your person to make you feel more comfortable."

Julius appreciated the gesture, as he began to tie his eyepatch. "Thanks." He muttered lowly, though everyone was able to hear him, as he finished and let the amethyst crystals dangle down his neck.

An awkward silence filled the room, as the Wyvern squad gazed curiously at the prince, who let out a sigh, seeing that he was the new main attraction. "If you came here to stare at me, then I will ask you to leave." Julius said dryly, as he stared at the group. He didn't really know how to start a friendly chatter with people he knew next to nothing about, so he decided to try out his rusted humor. "I am more than fine with the girls to sate their appetite by staring at me, but I am not into guys." He smirked, wondering if what he said counted as a joke or an outright claim. The reactions he got varied.

Ryo exploded into full blown laughter, while Yukiya snickered. Akito was caught off guard by the poor attempt at humor, taking him a few seconds to register what had happened. Ayano and Leila, on the other hand, turned beet red and backed away from him.

"What the hell's wrong with you?!" Ayano exclaimed, completely flustered. She was somewhat anxious about interacting so freely with a britannian prince with a reputation as bad as Julius', but she hadn't expected this. "No one's doing that!"

"Hahaha!" Ryo laughed, as he instinctively placed a hand over the prince's shoulder, making Julius tense up. "And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor."

The Britannian prince quickly coiled out of the eleven pilot's hold and paced back, not having expected the close encounter. "I don't like being touched so you should refrain from repeating that if you don't want to lose some teeth." As soon as he said that he heard a feline meow from the open window behind him and in the next instant he felt Leila's cat purring against his feet.

"Eliza!" Leila exclaimed, surprised and somewhat annoyed that her cat had been walking about the castle walls again. "What are you doing here?" She scolded her pet, which ignored her completely.

"What happened with the no-touching bit?" Yukiya asked smugly with his hands in his pockets.

Julius scowled and picked up the cat, which meowed at him. "You again…" He muttered, before dropping the cat, which circled him one more time, then decided to go and pester Akito, as it attempted to crawl up his leg, prompting the blue haired teen to pick the cat up, only for it to get on his shoulders and rest itself against his head.

Julius saw the hopeful look Leila was giving him. It would seem she really wished for him to learn to open up to others. "Alright, fine." Julius surrendered himself, as he sat down on the bed. "I am guessing that you want to hear who exactly is the homicide prince?" The black haired prince asked, receiving determined glances from everyone. "Then I can start with this." Julius removed his eyepatch and opened his eye, surprising the trio of Elevens that didn't know.

"Why is your eye like that?!" Ayano exclaimed, utterly freaked out, as she sensed chills run down her spine. Ryo whistled, while his features frowned. Yukiya was surprised as well, but held in his reaction unlike Ayano. Leila felt saddened when she remembered what she had seen of Julius' childhood.

"I guess I should fill you in on some small details that I would have had to discuss anyway." Julius shrugged, as the others seated themselves across the room. Leila sat down next to Akito on one of the couches, with her cat jumping from Akito's head into her lap. Ryo and Yukiya leaned against one of the walls, while Ayano seated herself on the edge of the window.

Julius then spent the next hour or so giving them an abridged version of his life since the murder of his mother. He went from the truth about his mother's murder and how he obtained his Geass to his own ambitions for vengeance. His listeners seemed interested in his story, which he didn't really care about, because it didn't matter what others thought of him.

"Everything I've done, the people killed, the atrocities committed, they were all for the sake of me rising to the position which would allow me to kill my own father." Julius concluded, as his eyes held a fierce determination.

Ryo punched his fist into his palm enthusiastically and grinned. "So in short words, we have to deck the emperor and his schemes a hard one to the face!" The dark brown haired Japanese grinned, earning the stupefied gaze of the prince.

"We?" Julius asked confused. He quickly grew angered. "You speak as if you have a reason to follow through with such an outrageous claim." He narrowed his eyes. "To challenge the emperor is to challenge the whole of the Holy Britannian Empire. That isn't something that any of you could even dream of taking on." He frowned.

Yukiya smirked at the last part. "I am not so sure about that." He grinned. "We are prone to getting into trouble, aren't we guys?" The green eyed hacker received affirmative smiles from his friends, as even Akito was smirking, while Leila looked a bit troubled.

"Besides," Ayano said, as she jumped down from the window. "We're tougher than you think." She said, as she flexed her arm, not knowing that Yukiya was barely holding back on teasing her for being a brawn head.

Julius wasn't having any of this. He clenched his fists, as his features frowned. "What reason do any of you have to help me, an enemy who tried to kill you?" He asked, as he rose to his feet and glared at all of them. He simply couldn't believe that after all this time of fighting to survive alone he had someone to rely on. The others fell silent as they listened. "You have nothing to do with me, so what makes you think that you are worth my trust?"

Surprisingly, it wasn't Leila that got to her feet, but Akito, who walked in front of Julius and stared him down. "You think you're the only one who has lost something?" Akito frowned, as he and Julius, who proved to be slightly taller now that they stood next to one another, glared at each other. "Everyone in this room has faced and overcome incredible hardships to stand here." He said, as he remembered all the years he spent as an emotionless soldier. "So don't think you have the right to decide our actions for us."

Julius frowned, but faltered, as doubt lingered in his mind. He wanted to accept them. He wanted to have someone that understood him. But to admit that meant that he wasn't strong enough to carry out his revenge. "I… can't." He grit his teeth, not realizing that his eyes wore a pleading look.

"Stop being afraid already!" Akito yelled at him, as he grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, making Julius flinch from surprise. "Everyone here knows how strong you are, hell, you could kill us right where we stand without any of us being able to do anything, but, accepting help is its own kind of strength."

Julius recomposed himself and swatted Akito's hand away, his features frowning in anger. "I am a prince of the same empire which took away your homeland." He said coldly. "You are Elevens, so why would you possibly ally with me?"

Yukiya smirked and shrugged at the last bit. He personally hardly cared about Elevens as a people, since he knew from first-hand experience how pathetic they were. "We don't really care about that." The green eyed teen folded his arms, understanding that the prince wasn't used to placing his trust in others.

"Yeah, we fight for us!" Ayano agreed. The prince's story had proven a bit much for her, but she knew what it was like to lose your family. She still missed her older sister, but those feelings didn't eat at her constantly, because she had her friends. For sharing that sentiment alone, she was willing to give the black haired prince a chance.

"It doesn't matter what nationality you were born." Ryo grinned, as he jabbed a thumb at his heart. It had taken him some time, but he finally understood what Leila's actions truly meant when she offered them a place to call home, when they had attacked her. "What matters is here."

Listening to everyone made a switch turn in Julius. How could he have been so blind to allow his country's recessive baseless discrimination against other cultures to deny him from seeing things for what they were actually worth. He was a Britannian prince, indeed, but as high as that alone placed him, he realized that without support any structure eventually falls.

The prince looked over each and every one of the five standing before him. The same unshakeable spark shined in all of their eyes. "Heh." Julius chuckled, as he placed a hand over his face and started to laugh cheerfully. "Hahaha!" Leila and the others didn't seem to understand what he was laughing about as they blinked confused. Julius was laughing at the chance meeting with a group like theirs that would accept even a monster like him as their own or that perhaps it was fate. "I have never met bigger idiots than the lot of you in my entire life." He stopped laughing and smiled at them. "But if you would really have the homicide prince as a friend, then I will oblige you." Julius smirked, as he swayed his hands in a fancy fashion, making his cape briefly float.

Leila smiled contently, pleased that the prince opened himself like this. Yukiya along with Ayano had a small smile on his face, while Ryo grinned. Akito smirked back at the prince, as he brought his fist forward. "Glad to have you, Julius." He said, with blue eyes meeting purple, as Julius shrugged and placed his own fist against Akito's.

The two finished their exchange and Julius turned to putting on his eyepatch, as he then called to the other three Elevens. "I didn't quite catch your names earlier." He said, but was surprised when the slightly taller Ryo put a hand over his shoulder and laughed.

"The name's Ryo Sayama!" Ryo grinned, as Julius eyed him with dissatisfaction that he made physical contact again.

"Ayano Kosaka." Ayano introduced herself, as she tried to withhold her laughter, when Julius coiled out of Ryo's grip and glared threateningly like a snake.

"And I'm Yukiya Naruse." Yukiya smiled lightly, interested as to the turns their lives would take now that they had britannian royalty among them.

Making sure to note their names down to memory, Julius smirked at all of these new comrades of his. "Who knows, maybe I will call you by them if I deem you deserving." He chuckled jokingly, while Akito and the rest stared at him shocked, as he swiftly turned around to exit the room, his appetite deciding to remind him that he hadn't eaten the whole day.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ryo asked, kind of perturbed that the conversation ended on such a note.

"I am feeling rather hungry and I hate to keep myself waiting." Julius' prideful voice rang, as he barely turned his head to smirk at them. "Of course, you are allowed to join me." He said and resumed walking, getting ahead of the wyvern squad, who stared speechless for a few seconds.

Yukiya chuckled, figuring that this prideful demeanor might actually be the prince's true self, which he didn't mind. Ayano was stunned silent, as she couldn't form a proper reply against Julius' remark, while Leila and Akito, who held Leila's cat in his arms, shared a nervous smile.

"That guy!" Ryo shook his fist. "Wait up, damn it!" He yelled, not realizing that he was making Julius wear a rare content smile on his face, as he and the rest caught up to the black haired prince and engaged into small talk.

* * *

Over the course of the next hours, Julius found himself enjoying the Elevens' and Leila's company. They were indeed a strange group, which at first glance one would think there was no way they could work together because of how they argued and teased each other. At some point Ashley joined in on them, to which Julius reluctantly surrendered, realizing that the orange haired knight was much like Ryo. The black haired prince also got a better perspective of who his new friends were and where they came from.

Ryo was brash and arrogant, just like he had deduced previously, but also proved to be noisy and cheerful. It was more than obvious that he valued his friends highly, as he had even challenged Julius just to prevent him from going after Akito. Julius respected that loyalty of his.

Yukiya was able to peek Julius' interest. The prince was pleasantly surprised when he realized that the green eyed Japanese pilot was a genius hacker and pro sniper. Then there was also that determined side of his, which was resolute when it came to his friends, that was accompanied with occasional teasing, mostly directed towards Ayano. Julius recognized this by remembering that Yukiya had been the one to bomb his soldiers. The two of them even shared a few stories on how they dealt with others, with Julius enjoying conversing with the hidden evil genius.

Ayano proved to be somewhat troubling. From what she had shared, Julius understood that she once had an older sister, whose fate she didn't wish to disclose, but the sentiment alone was enough for Julius to realize that she was most likely dead. The black haired Japanese girl was also very tomboyish, as she constantly argued with Yukiya, Ashley and Ryo who teased her for it. The prince also understood that she was self-trained in Japanese martial arts and valued her culture. She had been surprised when he hadn't made any sneering remark towards the Japanese, but didn't voice it because she found herself taking a liking to the britannian imperial's presence. Also, Julius at one point had wanted to ask her why she dressed in such a revealing fashion, but was swiftly spared from that mistake by Akito, who simply shook his head silently, conveying the message that it would be best if Julius didn't voice that thought.

As they continued their exchange, the topic shifted to the conclusion of today's battle, which prompted Akito to adopt a sentimental look. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by everyone else.

"What's wrong, Akito?" Leila asked him, growing concerned.

"I have to go and bury my brother." Akito said, having noticed his and Jeanne's bodies being among the recovered casualties earlier. It had taken him some pleading, but he had gotten the Britannian soldiers to concede and leave Shin's body to him. "I wish to honor him one last time."

"Then go." Julius said, sympathizing with Akito's love for his brother. He didn't want to admit it, but he envied how the blue haired Japanese handled the death of his only brother, even though their circumstances were completely different.

"Thanks, Julius." Akito nodded with a smile and turned to walk away.

"Wait, Akito!" Leila said, as she ran over to him. "I… I want to come with you, if that's alright?" She asked, her cheeks turning slightly red.

Akito was surprised for a brief second, but then smiled to her, as both of them walked away. "Of course, Leila."

When they were out of ear-reach, Ryo and Ashley began to whistle and applaud, while Yukiya clapped lightly. Ayano immediately became annoyed by this, but decided to spare herself the embarrassment by keeping quiet.

"So, I am guessing that the two of them have something going on?" Julius asked, wanting to see if his suspicions were correct, even though judging by the others' reactions that was most likely the case.

"Well, more or less." Yukiya shrugged, while Ryo and Ashley laughed at Akito's expense, calling him a 'tiger' when it came to Leila, which admittedly got Yukiya chuckling as well.

Julius didn't realize that he was slowly starting to become fond of this different atmosphere. The cheerful company was something he rarely experienced, if only because Euphemia visited him so they could spend some time together. However, a certain thought dawned on him. As willing as they were to go along with him on his road of vengeance and keep him from tearing himself apart, Julius realized that he couldn't force that decision on them if he truly wished to value and respect them.

"Hmph." He shrugged the thought away for later, as he decided that he had fooled around enough and needed to oversee the state of his soldiers. He was still a prince and needed to keep up his commanding presence. "I will have to bid you farewell for now, as there are duties I must perform as a prince." Julius told the others, as he turned to leave.

"See you around." The group waved him off. They were still adjusting to the change, but the Japanese trio felt that the prince was nice company, although his prideful attitude and stature was something to get used to.

* * *

Akito had opted to bury his brother and the woman that loved him in the gravesite he had created for his fallen comrades. With Leila providing him with a shovel, he had dug up the two holes, which proved to be quite an effort. Leila had helped him lay down Shin and Jeanne's bodies next to each other, which both of them decided was for the best. After that Akito buried the two, shedding some tears with a smile on his face, while Leila stayed in silent prayer with her hands clasped together, wishing for the peaceful rest of their souls.

Leila and Akito stood next to each other in silence, honoring the dead. Akito had taken Shin's finger guards, which were in the pockets of his uniform, and his blade, which he held in his left hand. He had picked up the items as memorials of his older brother, deciding to cherish them in his memory for the rest of his life.

Leila felt incredibly stressed, as her mind finally registered that she was alone with Akito. She really wanted to use this chance and confess to him, but she didn't want to take advantage of his feelings of loss. She fidgeted in place, not knowing what to do, until Akito spoke up.

"It looks like things are finally over." He said with a small smile.

"Yes." She nodded, glad that he was the one to break the ice. In retrospect, she was more than happy with how everything turned out. After all, none of her loved ones had died and she gained a new friend. "From here on our life awaits."

Akito smiled and turned to Leila. "Let's go back, commander." He unwillingly fell back on his old habit of calling Leila by her rank, instantly regretting it when he saw her features fell. He felt like an utter idiot for being so untactful, realizing that she was most likely expecting him to make the first move. Figuring that he needed to redeem himself and that there would likely be no better moment than the present, he strapped his brother's blade to his waist and grabbed Leila's hand, surprising her, as he pulled her closer to himself and kissed her. Leila's face turned beet red, but she returned the kiss, enjoying all of it. When they pulled apart from each other, Akito mustered up all of his courage and spoke what was on his heart. "I love you, Leila." He said as straight as he could, fighting against his embarrassment.

Leila saw this and decided to help him out by kissing him again. "I love you, Akito." She said, inwardly swelling with joy and pride at herself for finally being able to tell him.

He stared dumbfounded for a brief second, which Leila enjoyed, but then gently took her hand. "Let's return together, Leila."

"Yes, Akito." Leila smiled affectionately at him, as they walked back to their home and friends together.

* * *

With the day coming to a peaceful end, the sun slowly set. Mostly everyone had had their dinner and were now retired to rest. Dr. Sophie Randle was one such person, as she had returned to her room and talked to her unconscious husband about everything that had happened.

Unknown to the red haired doctor, however, the dimensional supervisor was watching her from the side, glancing calculatingly with her pink eyes. She had thought that the humans would have killed each other off, showing that they were indeed undeserving of Geass, but the blond girl, Leila Breisgau, had proven her wrong. Not only had Shin's rabid Geass been stopped, but she got to see a fragment of the power of Geass which rarely surfaced among humans.

The ethereal being was also fully aware of Julius vi Britannia's desire to kill the Britannian emperor, which in-of-itself was perfect for her and the other representatives of the collective unconscious, even though the prince's fragment of the Geass had taken an interesting developmental turn. If the humans themselves would solve the potential brewing problem, then there was indeed no need to interfere.

The black and pink haired woman shrugged, as she waved her hand over the unconscious man's body. "A reward for your efforts, humans." She said emptily, as she watched the man slowly wake up to his wife's outraged cries of joy.

She turned around to leave, slowly dispersing into nothingness. She knew everything about all of the other Geass users and the Code bearers. Still, she retained a slither of expectation that if the fragment of hope could unite with the fragment of fear, then perhaps there was still a chance that humanity was not fated to extinction. "Show us how you change your fates, humans." She said with a small smile, wishing to see how everything would turn out, as she disappeared.

* * *

Morning came and with it the sun's shine. Standing outside in the lake garden, the whole of the W-0 and some Britannian knights had gathered before Julius and Leila, who were sitting across each other from the tea table and were enjoying a cup of tea. Akito was standing off to the side behind Leila, having received permission from Julius, while the others were ordered to wait and keep quiet.

"You make fine tea, Leila." Julius complimented his fellow Geass user. He was insistent that they start their negotiations like this and had allowed Akito and Leila to stand beside him as equals, something which he had never done before outside his home. "It almost beats out the one I drink back home."

"I am glad it is to your liking, Julius." Leila said, as she watched the prince place his empty cup back on the table, while hers remained in her hand.

The knights were tense and nervous, including Ashley, as they hadn't seen this regal and sophisticated side of the homicide prince. Despite this, they along with the W-0 were curious as to what decision would the two commanders reach regarding the fate of this base.

"I am going to get straight to the point." Julius said, earning a nod from Leila, as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands. He had spent the whole night in figuring out the best course of action and he was fairly certain that he had reached a suitable option. Now he only needed to hear if Leila was content with it. "The Apollo's Chariot will be destroyed, along with all data regarding it."

Leila raised an eyebrow, not having expected Julius to have decided on this. "May I ask why you have decided so?" She asked.

"It is true that the technology is truly outstanding and would most likely be beneficial for mankind," Julius explained, however quickly emphasized his point. "But history has proven time and time again that everything man creates can be used not only for good, but for destruction as well. In short, humanity is better off without the ability to bomb each other from space." He was better off without someone like his older brother Schneizel getting his hands on it and potentially becoming a threat to him.

Leila nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, I agree." She understood clearly what the prince meant and if it would save countless lives, then there was no need to keep the ultra-long range transport.

"Now that we've conceded on that point, I wish to turn to the matter of you and your unit." Julius said, as Leila's gaze turned serious, while Akito tensed up behind her. "I can truly propose to you only two options." The one eyed prince said. "The first is to come back to Euro Britannia with me, where you will be offered sanctuary, although I will have to repurpose your unit as my personal guard, so as to not bring about unwanted attention." Julius explained his first option, while Leila listened very carefully and thought through the details of what her decision would hold.

To be honest, this was the option which suited Julius more, because that way he could keep a close watch on them and make sure that they wouldn't be targeted or used against him. However, the choice was theirs to make and he respected Leila enough to honor her decision.

"Your other option is to disappear from the public radar and live somewhere remote where you wouldn't be identified." Julius said, surprising Leila. "The EU has sold you out and considers you dead so there's no way for you to return without getting eviscerated." He concluded, as he crossed his hands over his chest.

Everyone in the W-0 and especially Leila were stunned by the prince's words. She had presumed that now that they knew his secrets he would keep them close or potentially on a leash, but he had given them the freedom to choose their own destiny.

"Of course, if some of you are of differing opinions, I can accommodate those that would like a peaceful life as a Britannian citizen, while the others go on their own." Julius added. That was as far as he could go for them. Now it was their turn to choose. "I am afraid that I will have to receive your answers now, because otherwise I won't have enough time to make the proper arrangements."

While the Britannian knights simply obeyed loyally their prince's commands, everyone in the W-0 had their own personal opinion on the matter, as whispers started to go among them. Some like Claus, Oscar, Olivia and Sarah seemed keen on the idea of leading a peaceful life away from the military, while others like Dr. Randle and her team were skeptical towards the proposal.

"Your highness, if I may ask a question?" Takeru Randle, the newly awakened husband of Sophie wished to understand a bit more as to what their refuge in Britannia would entail. "If we were to choose to come along with you, would we be able to continue with our work?"

Julius turned to look towards the doctor. From what he heard from Leila he and his wife were esteemed doctors and accomplished scientists in the field of brain neurology. "Dr. Randle." Julius began, as he gestured to the man with one of his hands. "I can sincerely tell you that people with medical knowledge of your caliber will immediately be able to find a well-paid job in Britannia's health care." He said, but then decided to voice a certain concern of his. "However, I am putting a ban on your research, as it has proven too dangerous."

Sophie and her team immediately grew flabbergasted. "You can't!" The red haired doctor exclaimed, furious that the prince would impede the progress of science. They had gotten so far too. All of the data they had gotten from Akito and the others, it was priceless.

However, Takeru stopped his wife by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sophie, that's enough." He said calmly, earning his wife's shocked gaze. True, this had been his life's work, but the prince was right that the risk was too great. He had nearly killed himself by locking down his own brain from a past experiment. "As his highness said earlier, somethings are best simply left unattainable to man." He sighed with a kind smile, which got his loving wife to reconsider.

"I am glad that you are capable of seeing the bigger picture, doctor." Julius nodded, as he then turned his expectant gaze to the others. The only ones left were Anna and her team and the wyvern squad. "Miss Clement, I am renewing my offer to you." He said, gaining Anna, Chloe and Hilda's attention. "I invite you and your assistants to come to Britannia as the head researchers of the Knightmare science division I intend to found." Julius said, deciding that it would be best if he had his own share in that area, which he didn't require attached strings to use. He wanted to deal with Schneizel's smug attitude as less as possible.

The three girls' minds blew off the moment they heard the prince's proposal. "H-Head researcher?! Me?!" Anna was shocked with happiness. Being under the direct support of a member of the royal family meant not only a large amount of funding, but also new possibilities for her to better her designs and technology. An opportunity like this surely never came a second time.

"This is great boss!" Chloe exclaimed cheerfully.

"It's what you've always wanted, right?" Hilda congratulated the purple haired scientist.

Anna was unsure of herself, even though her assistants were supporting her decision full on. She decided to turn to Leila for guidance, receiving a smile and a nod from her.

"Congratulations, Anna." Leila smiled at her childhood friend. She was really glad that she wouldn't be confined by the limits of the military anymore and that she would be able to chase her dreams.

Receiving all of the moral support she could need, Anna resolved herself to move forward towards the future. "I am sincerely grateful for your generous offer, prince Julius." She bowed in gratitude.

"Excellent." Julius noted, as he switched his gaze to the last group to make a decision. Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya didn't seem to be thinking that hard about it, unlike Akito and Leila, who were strongly pondering on their options. "I will be blunt and say that if you come to Britannia, you will be discriminated against." Julius told the four Elevens, not going to lie and hide the truth from them. "Even if you are under my direct supervision, you will still be seen as Elevens to the masses. It will be up to you to prove your strength and worth." The prince said, narrowing his eye at them. "That isn't something that many are capable of, but I do believe that you will be able to overcome such a predicament. Still, if you indeed wish for a tranquil remote life, then I am not going to stop you."

Ryo, Yukiya and Ayano glanced to each other. All they had ever wanted was a place they could call home and they got one in Leila and the team. Sure, they could return to live peacefully with the grannies for the rest of their lives, but they would be missing out on so much. But, even if it was for a short time, Julius had become a close friend and they had a strict code to never abandon a friend.

The three Japanese teens smirked to each other and looked to Julius. "You can count us in, Julius!" Ryo declared, raising his fist against his chest, while the other two grinned.

Leila and Akito were both surprised by their decision, as they had expected them to want nothing more to do with fighting and simply live peacefully together, but they weren't disappointed. Leila rose from her seat, prompting Julius to do the same. "I look forward to working together with you, prince Julius vi Britannia." She smiled, offering her hand to shake, while Akito simply crossed his arms and nodded with a smile of his own.

"Heh." Julius chuckled to himself with a cheerful smile on his face, having had a hunch that all of them would choose to go along with him, as he shook hands with Leila. "Then it is official. Leila Breisgau, from here on you are appointed as my personal second in command and aide-de-camp." The prince declared, surprising Leila, who went wide eyed with disbelief. "You have proven yourself worthy of my trust and value, which is why I will allow you and only you to become my advisor." Julius knew of Leila's strategical ability and was more than sure that it outclassed his own, but he trusted even more in her judgement and Geass.

"I am honored, your majesty." Leila said, as she bowed slightly. When she thought about it, there was a certain curiosity inside her which wished to explore her Britannian origins and find out for herself what life in Britannia meant. If through doing so she would be able to change it for the better, then she was more than content.

Julius then looked to Akito and smirked, with both teens locking gazes with each other. "As for you, Akito Hyuga, I intend to put you in a position in which you will be able to freely call yourself my rival." Julius said, earning a curious glance from the blue eyed Japanese. "You said that you were going to beat me. Will you be able to follow through with such big words?" Julius smirked challengingly at him, having decided that if there was one who he respected as an equal in strength, then it would be Akito Hyuga, as he raised his fist forward.

"Hmph." Akito smirked back at the prince, as he connected his fist to his. "I accept your challenge, Julius vi Britannia." Akito was ready to follow Leila anywhere anytime, but now he was also going to stand beside his friend and rival. If Julius ever needed any of them then they would be dare. He wouldn't let his friend lose hold of himself that easily ever again.

* * *

From there on preparations for the whole of the company's return to St. Petersburg began. The first order of business was the destruction of the Apollo's chariot and all data regarding it, which went smoothly and faster than planned thanks to the combined efforts of the W-0 and the Knights of St. Michael. While all of this had been going on, Julius made sure to complete any necessary documentation beforehand, although double the amount awaited him back at the palace, as he had issued orders to send air transports and his flagship to pick everyone up. The whole ordeal had taken less than two days, as the airships arrived and were soon loading tech, Knightmares, belongings and people.

Julius stood in front of the Leviathan with a hand rested on his waist. Looking back to everything that had gone down in only a couple of days, he realized that his own life had most likely changed drastically. He turned around and smirked, when he saw Leila, Akito, Ryo, Ayano, Yukiya and Ashley being at the ready for departure. Anna and her assistants had already boarded the airship, as they had watched over their equipment being boarded along with the salvaged parts of both Akito's Alexander Liberte and Shin's Vercingetorix.

Akito and Leila stepped forward next to Julius, holding each other's hands, and gazed forward at the aircraft. "There is no turning back now." Julius smirked at them, testing if they would falter at the last stretch, even though he knew what to expect.

"Indeed." Leila said, filled with optimism about this next chapter in hers and everyone else's lives, as her Geass flashed briefly.

"Well then, my friends." Julius turned around in a flamboyant fashion, throwing his right arm to the side in an exaggerated fashion and making his cape float. "Follow me to the new horizon that awaits you!" He declared, as everyone boarded the ship.

Akito smirked, thinking that he would never get used to Julius' over the top dramatization, while Ryo and the rest were brimming with enthusiasm and curiosity to experience what life in Britannia was about. As she walked next to Akito, Leila gazed at the prince in black and gold and couldn't help but smile. This was the Julius vi Britannia she had fought to bring out, a leader and a friend. Perhaps he wouldn't fully change his ways, but as long as she was able to, she would make sure that the prince didn't destroy himself or those around him for the sake of his vengeance.

Leila turned towards Akito, who noticed her expectant look and gently locked lips with her. If anyone wished to go against them and ruin the happiness they held, then they had another thing coming.

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg**

After an almost 4 hour flight, the Leviathan had landed back on Euro Britannian ground. The capital city of the tributary empire didn't seem to be in any different shape from what Julius had left it when he had first departed for Castle Weisswolf. Julius, personally, was more than glad that the flight was over, because if Ryo and Ashley had continued to pester him anymore, then he would have snapped.

As Julius exited out of the Leviathan, followed by Akito and Leila, who looked around in curiosity, while the others were lagging behind, still getting their stuff, he immediately noticed something that made him wide eyed. Leila and Akito also stopped, wondering what got him so alert.

Julius gazed forward in bewilderment at the four people in front of him. Andrea Farnesse was the least of his problems and so was Archduke Velaines, who the other two of the four most likely let out of his prison cell.

His real problem were the two familiar faces he hadn't seen ever since his childhood. His features scowled at the blond female knight in a red uniform and the person next to her, who held the imperial scepter he had so carelessly left behind because he had thought that no member of the royal family would bother themselves to come over, while she playfully smiled at him. How could he ever forget that beautiful shade of red?

"Hello, Julius." Marrybel greeted her brother with a smile on her face.

"Mary" Julius uttered her name with a hint of regret, as if he had forgotten something incredibly valuable to him.

* * *

 **We're finally done with arc 1! Whew, I can't believe I fell asleep while editing this and checking for errors XD. First off, I guess I should explain what exactly happened when Leila and Julius' Geass collided. Essentially we witnessed the effects of Leila's Geass linking her conscience to that of Julius', however, it was Julius' Geass that tore apart the link and creating those shadows that were reaching for Leila, as its effect was finally able to corrode through Leila's Geass. Another thing to talk about is Julius' Geass. I had intended from the very start to have his Geass cause him physical pain, since I found it to be rather op and I believe that the double edged sword gimmick is nice to have, preventing Julius from simply spamming it. As for the rest of the chapter, you could probably call it a semi heel-face turn for Julius. Still, I would like to point out that while he may indeed act differently towards the wyvern squad and respect them now, that doesn't mean that all of a sudden he will change his previous behavior, so don't worry, he's still a deadly killer. I hope that that cliffhanger ending was to everyone's liking and that it got you wondering just what the hell is going to go down now that Julius is back at Euro Britannia. I know that I most likely messed up the pacing in this chapter, which caused it to drag on and on. Anyway, thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**


	16. Unexpected Reunion

**Hey, guys, sorry for the monthly long wait, but you know how it is. It will be a cold day in hell when I start to update consistently. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Stage 16: Unexpected reunion

* * *

 **Euro Britannia, St. Petersburg**

There was a still silence at the airport, as Julius scaled up the four people in front of him, while Leila and Akito remained silent, noting the serious expression on the prince's face. After a few seconds, Julius stepped forward towards Marrybell, making duke Velaines and Andrea Farnese become on edge, while Oldrin simply eyed him with curiosity. The two royal heirs shared in their stare-down for a brief longer, until Julius smirked at his half-sister.

"I have to admit that you caught me off guard. I never would have expected someone from the homeland to interfere like this." Julius shrugged nonchalantly, before he graciously swung his hand in a greeting gesture. "I am delighted to see you again after all these years, little sister."

Upon hearing his way of addressing her, Marrybell quickly pouted and narrowed her eyes at her brother. "You're only older than me by a few months, Julius." She corrected him, matter-of-factly, swinging her index finger from side to side. Still, she smiled back at her brother, whom she had heard so much about during her time away from the royal family. From all of the nasty stories and how he appeared on television, she could hardly believe that they spoke of the same person. "It is nice to see you, too." The red haired princess smirked knowingly, as she pointed at him with the imperial scepter, making her white cloak fan out briefly.

"Hmph." Julius took the scepter with one quick swipe, as he then turned his attention to the archduke, who was eyeing him with mistrust and resentment. "I am right to assume that my sister was the one to release you from your cell, duke Velaines?" Julius raised an eyebrow at the older man.

"You are correct, prince Julius." Velaines said begrudgingly, though as much as he disliked the prince, he couldn't help but peek his curiosity at his two escorts, with the blond girl being awfully familiar.

Lord Farnese decided to speak up his concerns, as he recognized the blade of Shin Hyuga on the blue haired teen's waist. "Your highness, what happened with your operation at the Europian base and who are these people?" The long haired grandmaster asked.

Before Julius could answer, a bunch of excited and ruckus voices interrupted the prince. The group of Ryo, Ayano, Yukiya and Ashley exited out of the airship and arrived with loud laughter, offsetting the serious atmosphere. Julius wanted to face-palm himself, but instead shot the four a threatening glare that seemed to do the trick to make them shut up and stare confused at the rest.

"Ugh, I will explain on the way back to the palace." Julius let out a long sigh.

Later at Caesar's palace, Julius had issued for his group to wait for him in one of the palace's lounges while he sorted things out with the archduke and his sister. No doubt a lot of political scuffling awaited him, but that was to be given since he proclaimed himself as emperor of Euro Britannia just because he could. Fortunately, Leila and Akito had vouched to accompany him on the meeting, while the others were to wait, which the prince doubted they would do in silence.

Standing in one of the many regal rooms of the large palace, Julius sat across Marrybell and Velaines, while Akito and Leila stood behind the prince, with Oldrin having stationed herself beside her princess, wearing a dark red cloak with the golden crest of Britannia over her standard uniform. Having heard his sister's briefing on what had happened during his time away, Julius was tapping his fingers on the table at an increasingly agitated pace.

"How dares Schneizel interfere with my military campaign?!" Julius growled, thoroughly irritated at his elder brother's conniving schemes. Not only had the second prince revoked Julius' self-given status as emperor, but he had also signed a peace treaty with the EU behind his back. This put Julius' plans on quite the setback. "I wasn't aware that the prime minister's decisions held the same weight as the emperor's." The black haired prince frowned in annoyance.

Marrybell noted in her brother's dissatisfaction, which Schneizel had warned her about. When her elder sibling had told her to go to Euro Britannia to cool down the fires that Julius was fanning, the red haired princess saw it as an interesting opportunity. "I personally believe that you should be glad that that was all to big brother's interference." She said, earning Julius' disapproving gaze. "With all of the chaos that you've sewn, we might have actually averted an all-out war with the EU, which would have cost us enough to allow the Chinese Federation an excuse to attack, no matter how strong our military is." Marrybell stated, earning a nod from the archduke.

"Hmph, you must be joking." Julius scoffed, leaning back in his seat. "I saw what the EU is capable of out on the battlefield. They couldn't best me alone, so what hope would they have against Britannia's full force?" The one eyed prince shrugged. "Surely you do not imply that I, Schneizel or Cornelia can lose to such garbage?"

Duke Velaines shook his head to the side in denial, letting out a sigh. As livid as the man was at the homicide prince for coming and ruining three of the holy knight orders that served Euro Britannia and manipulating the political landscape, the duke was even more so disappointed with how self-absorbed and unreachable the prince thought he was. "You do not understand, prince Julius." The duke said, which earned him a scrutinizing frown from the prince. "While I will be the first to admit that with your arrival the war effort against the EU has gone up exponentially, with the fall of Poland and all of its resources to Euro Britannia being a prime example of your results, your actions united a government in disarray under a single leadership and gave them a martyr to rally behind."

"I am well aware of that mongrel Smilas' plot to target me." Julius crossed his arms and gazed at the duke. He realized that the noble openly displayed discontentment towards him, which was normal, considering that Julius trumped him up and put him in jail, but the prince was impartial to the duke being out of his cell. In hindsight, he would've likely had to release him because of his usefulness, so maybe he had been a bit too hasty in sentencing him to jail. "Besides, the Europians' ideal bearer, Leila Breisgau, has pledged her allegiance and loyalty to me." Julius said, as he gestured to Leila, motioning for her to speak.

As all eyes turned to her, Leila stood firm at attention, knowing that she had to make a good first impression in order to be taken seriously. Still, Akito was beside her for support and if things started to get out of hand, Julius could steer the conversation. "His highness' words are true." She stated firmly with a courteous bow to the people of higher standing than her, as she presumed was Britannian custom. "I and my unit were sold out by the current leader of the Europian government, Gene Smilas." She spoke, clenching her fists, still feeling bitter about her father figure's discarding of her and her friends. "During prince Julius and lord Shaing's raid on our base, we decided that it was best to defect to Britannia."

"And lord Shaing?" Lord Farnese asked, curious as to what was the fate of the grandmaster of the Knights of St. Michael, since he was nowhere to be found.

"My brother was felled in battle." Akito answered the man abruptly, clutching Shin's blade. The blue haired teen was willing to alter the truth in order to preserve his brother's honor, but only to an extent. He noticed the curious glances he received from all but Julius and Leila, but remained firm and silent, used to having eyes traced on him.

Marrybell was intrigued by the interesting cast of characters surrounding her brother. For one, there was the younger brother of an honorary britannian knight turned nobleman, who was an Eleven of all things. Then there was the daughter of a defected britannian noble family, from what she had briefly heard about Leila. "If you wouldn't mind me asking, miss Breisgau, what made you decide to side with my brother?" The red haired princess asked with a friendly smile, wishing to hear more of these people's circumstances.

However, her question brought about a brief silence, during which Leila exchanged looks with Akito and Julius, the latter of which decided to answer in her stead. "I have decided to appoint Leila as my trusted second in command and her unit as my personal royal guard." The prince in black and gold stated, which made Marrybell and Oldrin's eyes widen with surprise, while the archduke and Lord Farnese felt like their jaws fell to the floor.

The two men couldn't even muster up words to react to the news. The homicide prince himself had appointed someone as his second in command and a group of numbers for his royal guard, a position which ordinarily numbers wouldn't even be allowed to dream of acquiring. They shuddered at the thought of what kind of people were capable of earning the volatile prince's favor.

The princess and knight duo weren't faring any better in believing the words that left the one eyed prince's mouth. From what she had heard and seen, Marrybell had thought that Julius was the type of person to never acknowledge someone else. Although she had her thoughts to share on how cynical and self-absorbed her brother had become and how true those stories were, those were meant for a private discussion for her to judge for herself. "Julius, are you sure about this?" She asked her brother with raised eyebrows. "You do realize that admitting Elevens into the Royal Guard will cause a lot of backlash from all of the discriminators against the numbers."

Julius simply shrugged at her statement and smirked. "Let those imbeciles bark and complain all they want." The prince said, as he then gestured towards Akito. "Akito Hyuga and his comrades proved themselves worthy of receiving the position and I do believe that I am not wrong in that Britannia rewards the strong for their accomplishments."

Hearing Julius, Oldrin glanced towards Akito, her hand clamped tightly around her own blade. Truth be told, she was growing curious as just how strong the Eleven was and was thinking of challenging him to a friendly sparring match later, since she never saw numbers as inferior to Britannians, unlike most of her country's society. Still, she knew that during official meetings like this, she best remained silent and let Mary handle all of the political work.

Marrybell remained silent at her brother's words, while Lord Farnese and the archduke seemed to agree with Julius' statement, if their nods were any indication to go by. "As I am still in charge of all military operations here, I will state the following." Julius said, as he rose from his feet, with the imperial scepter in hand. "While the EU may be benefitting from the current cease fire, the fact remains that their current head lied their way to get there, which makes cutting him off that much easier." He said, as Marrybell and duke Velaines also rose from their seats. "With miss Breisgau's information as a former member of the EU military, I have more than enough to crush the union's leadership."

Lord Farnese and duke Velaines weren't sure at first, but they had started to notice that the prince wasn't as temperamental as usual. Whatever had happened at Castle Weisswolf, surely brought about a change, no matter how small.

"The report on the Weisswolf operation will be handed to you by tomorrow by one of the Knights of St. Michael. I will be retiring to my chambers for now." Julius said, as he then turned to his sister. "Mary, I would like you and Oldrin to accompany me for dinner later." He calmly stated.

"Sure, Julius." Marrybell accepted her brother's invitation.

"Good." He nodded, as he then spoke to the duke. "I want to be kept up to date about all potential war sectors' status and the border's defense. All general reports are to be filed directly to me." Julius said, then remembered something else. "Also, I want a science block freed up for usage tomorrow at the earliest." He stated and turned around briskly to leave out of the room, followed by Leila and Akito, the former of which gave a polite bow to the other occupants of the room.

When he got to his quarters, what Julius hadn't expected was for the wyvern squad to have quite literally crashed in. The moment he, Leila and Akito had walked in, they were treated to the sight of Ayano sprawled over the couch with Eliza sleeping on top of her stomach, Ryo and Ashley rummaging through the fridge and stuffing their mouths and Yukiya simply waving at them from the chair he was sitting on. Julius' stupefied reaction was almost enough to cause Akito and Leila to snicker, as the prince glared uncontrollably at the chaos.

"Oh, welcome back, you guys." Yukiya greeted them nonchalantly, growing an amused smile when he saw Julius' expression, while Leila and Akito didn't really know if they should have expected anything else.

"What are all of you doing in my suite?!" Julius exclaimed in outrage, gaining the other three's attention, who looked to him in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Ryo asked, as he finished gulping down a carbonated drink he had gotten his hands on.

Julius' right eye twitched, as he exercised all of his self-control to keep himself from exploding. "First of all, why are you here? Second, who gave you permission to raid the fridge?" Julius asked sourly, tapping his foot impatiently with his hands crossed over his chest.

"Well, we didn't know where we would be staying, so we figured that we could crash here for the time being. This place alone is as big as a small house." Ayano said, glancing to the three newly arrived, gaining affirmative nods from Ryo and Ashley, who were still swallowing some of the food they had snatched.

The britannian prince took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, gaining a giggle from Leila. "Ok, fine. I will arrange for your rooms as fast as I can if that is what it will take for you to stop tainting my suite." Julius grumbled, as he then walked over to the main lounging area and sat on the central couch, which was to the side of Yukiya and Ayano, the latter of which righted herself up, so she could listen properly. Akito and Leila took their seat next to each other, the latter hugging her cat and placing it in her lap, while Ryo and Ashley sat down across Yukiya and Ayano. Everyone noticed the serious look on the prince's face and how he had clasped his hands together, realizing that the situation was important.

"I will be frank and say that my older brother's interference has put me in a rather tight spot." Julius spoke contemplatively, as he ran through his tasks in his mind, his irritation at Schneizel not intent on subsiding. "At least this supposed cease-fire will give me time to appropriately prepare for a counter-attack."

"So, what now?" Ryo asked, wondering what would happen.

"For now, I will have to arrange things for Miss Clement and her assistants. Then there is the matter of formally getting you administrated as my royal guard, which will take me some time, maybe a few days." Julius thought through his courses of action. He had given the other members of the W-0 a recommendation letter with his own signature, which was more than effective on granting them Britannian citizenship. As for his friends, he suddenly realized that he brought on himself a lot of problems by deciding to make them his royal guard. "I will also have to assign you for a course in courtesy and knighthood." He grumbled, massaging his head, annoyed by how much paperwork awaited him.

While Yukiya, Leila and Akito agreed with the statement, Ryo and Ayano quickly rose to their feet flabbergasted. "You want us to train being knights?!" They exclaimed in synch. Both Japanese shared in their dislike for acting on regulations, following rules and regalities.

"It's nothing scary." Ashley laughed at the two. As a knight himself, he was well aware of the customs expected of each member of the Britannian military, especially a high position as a royal guardsman. "It's only basic and advanced hand-to-hand and Knightmare combat training."

"On the contrary," Julius wanted to make sure that his point had come across. He was not going to allow any of them to embarrass him through their lack of proper etiquette. He was a Britannian prince and his guards were going to learn of the high standards he desired. "none of you need the combat training, since it won't teach you anything you don't already know. Rather, your courses will be focused on skills and mannerisms expected of all britannian soldiers." He smirked at them.

"I always wanted to learn what all of the different types of silverware are for." Yukyia joked offhandedly, earning a scoff from Julius.

"Do not underestimate the vast knowledge that goes into handling proper meal etiquette." The one eyed prince warned them with a sour look on his face, remembering all of his tormenting royal educating sessions in his childhood. The social mannerisms of being a prince was drilled into him almost as hard as Nonette's training. "If you do manage to impress me, or at least pass, you can be certain that I will allow you to have meals with me in public." Julius told them with an arrogant smirk.

"How exciting!" Leila clasped her hands together, being the only one eager to learn of Britannian tradition, while Akito looked like he couldn't care less.

"At least there is someone enthusiastic about it." Ayano grumbled.

"I won't be having any complaints!" Julius ordered, as he rose to his feet, though his voice was levelled. "Ashley, you will arrange for their rooms and be their instructor."

"You can count on me, your highness!" Ashley grinned cheerfully and saluted, anticipating the amusement he was going to get from teaching Akito and the rest about everything that went into being a knight.

"Good, now all of you get out of here and let me be in peace." Julius flat out kicked them out, as he pointed to the door with his hand. "I need to start working on the documents that will enter you as honorary Britannians, then I've got a ton more to do." He explained, as he then turned to Leila, a certain matter coming to mind. "Leila, how would you feel if I had your family name's nobility restored?" Julius asked her, though he could see the confusion in her eyes.

"I…" Leila wasn't sure what to think of this as she held onto Akito's hand for support. "I don't know…" By the time she was of the age to remember, her parents had already been defects from the empire, so she really had no idea of the weight that her family name once carried. "Perhaps," Thinking about it, nobility was essentially the hierarchy of Britannia. If one wanted to be heard and their voice to matter, then surely they had to be of a high standing. The blond girl also believed that if she was to stand beside the twelfth prince of Britannia as his second in command, then perhaps it would be better for her to accept the proposal. "I would like that, yes. If it doesn't prove to be a problem." Leila nodded at Julius, who smiled at her.

"You've officially piled me with enough paperwork so that I won't be getting any sleep the next days." Julius chuckled, as the rest shared a laugh as well.

"Alright then, we will leave you to it." Leila said, as she and the others went to leave, with Julius seeing them off at the door.

Before they could leave, however, Julius decided to at least get them back for all of the work he had to go through, as a satisfied grin settled on his face. "Ashley, make sure that Akito and Leila get a room for two." He ordered, as the automatic door then slid shut and was locked, some of the prince's arrogant laughter slipping through.

"Huh?" Akito blinked, not realizing fast enough what that had meant, until he gazed at Leila's bright red cheeks, while she held her cat in her arms, which gazed at him questioningly. The blue haired teen immediately became flustered, although he quickly tried to hide it, which prompted the others to laugh at his expense.

* * *

St. Petersburg's streets were full of life. People were going about their way through the wide streets of the Euro Britannia capital, as everyday life was going forward for everyone. A certain princess and her knight enjoyed watching the peacefulness around them, as they sat across each other.

Being dragged out to sightsee by Oldrin, Marrybell was finding the current situation to be quite enjoyable through its calmness. Taking a sip from the coffee she had ordered, the red haired princess was satisfied by her choice of café. She and her childhood friend were currently sitting at a relatively small glass table for two on a balcony with a nice view to the city center.

Although, it had been troublesome to get the staff working at the café to not stay latched to their table so they could properly attend their other clients as well, for which they were glad and appreciated her understanding.

"Say, Mary," Oldrin said, as she finished the chocolate pancakes she had ordered. "don't you think that your brother is kind of strange?" She asked innocently, which prompted her friend to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You mean Julius?" Marrybell received a nod from her knight, who started to gaze longingly for her own melba. This prompted the princess to smile slyly, as she ate her fruity desert with ice cream slowly, conveying that she wasn't sharing, which caused the blond girl across her to pout. "Well, I can't say for certain…" The red haired princess said, as she played around with the strawberry on her fork. "You know that I haven't been in contact with him ever since I came to live with you." Truly, the only contact she had related to the royal family was through news, reports, or questions she had asked Oldrin's uncle, which were most often than not barely answered.

"Yeah, but princess Euphemia hasn't changed that much." Oldrin said, as she called over one of the waiters and ordered the café's homemade ice cream, intent on hogging it for herself to repay her friend for not sharing her dessert. "I mean, prince Julius was all angry and dead serious. He didn't even smile one time! I hardly recognized him!" The blond knight ranted, slightly curious as to regarding the circumstances that had brought about this change in her childhood friend's brother.

Marrybell laughed lightly at her friend's comments, though her smile then faded and her features turned serious. "It's normal though. Ten years is more than enough time for a person to change drastically." She said, her voice carrying hints of sadness as she remembered how she had lost everything in a single day without warning. It was thanks to Oldrin's constant emotional support that she had been able to move forward and not succumb to the grief, even though the trauma still haunted her. Despite that, she cherished all of her memories with her family.

Throughout her childhood, she had gotten to interact mostly with the li and vi Britannia branches of the royal family, which made her feel that even though their father had many wives and children, all of them could live happily together. "Still, it always was fun whenever all of us girls teased Julius and Lelouch." Marrybell smiled, the memory prompting a giggle from her.

* * *

 **mel Britannia family Vila, 2006 atb**

"What do you think you are doing?!" a young Lelouch's terrified voice resounded through the gardens of the mel Britannia family's villa.

"Oh stop complaining already, Lelouch." The even younger Euphemia giggled, as she, Nunnally and Julia had surrounded their older brother and started playing with his hair, tying flowers into it and so on. This, of course, infuriated the young prince, who despite his annoyance, couldn't say no to his sisters.

"There, you're all done, big brother!" Julia exclaimed cheerfully, as the three sisters took a step back to look at their handiwork. Needless to say, there were more flowers visible on Lelouch's head than his black hair, with the young prince's head looking like an improvised flowerpot.

"You look beautiful, Lelouch." Nunnally smiled at her brother, causing him to turn beet red with embarrassment, which in turn prompted the three girls to laugh at his expense.

"Stop laughing!" Lelouch complained. "Julius, help me out he-… re." The young prince had turned to his twin for help, only to find that his brother wasn't in a favorable position either.

Julius was seated on the grass, his face full of dejection, as Marrybell hummed behind him, tying a ring of red and white roses in his hair. "Please forgive me already, Mary." He pleaded, hoping that his sister would cease stuffing his hair with all of those prickly thorns.

"Nope." Marrybell rejected him with a sly smile, as she tied another branch. "You should have thought twice when you called me fat."

"But I did no such thing!" Julius protested in his sitting position, pouting. "You asked for my desert and I told you that you would gain weight if you eat so much sugar!"

"Same thing." The red haired princess replied nonchalantly, causing her sisters to giggle mischievously. "Be a man and stop complaining like Lelouch over there. I am making you look prettier, you should be thanking me."

"At least I am not a pain in the butt, you tomato." Lelouch grumbled quietly, but not quietly enough for Marrybell not to hear him, while the three younger girls exclaimed in synch from surprise.

"What was that, Lelouch?" She turned to her other brother with a sincere smile, which may have looked innocent and cheerful, but made Lelouch pale. "Do you want to have another arm wrestling match again, hmm?"

The sheer shame and embarrassment flashed before Lelouch's eyes from the time he had gloated when he had beaten his sister at chess, only for her to challenge him to an arm wrestling game and for him to lose awfully. "No thanks, I'm good." He replied nervously, his arm hurting just from remembering his sister's grip.

"Now now, I am sure that Lelouch didn't mean to offend you, Mary." Julius said, helping to resolve the situation, only for his sister to pull his cheek. "Agh!"

"I was just kidding, sheesh." Marrybell pouted, but then her smile returned, when she was finally able to finish with her brother's new head accessory. "There, perfect, if I do say so myself." She puffed up her still developing chest with pride.

"Wow, you're so good, big sis!" Julia exclaimed, as she, Euphy and Nunnally swarmed a nervously laughing Julius to examine their elder sister's craftsmanship. To say that there was a clear difference between the work of the three younger sisters and their elder was an understatement.

Marrybell patted Julius' shoulder, getting him to look curiously at her. "Now you're as pretty as a princess!" The red haired princess joked, making her sisters laugh, because they always teased the twins how much they would look like girls if they let their hair grow out.

Julius blinked for a few seconds, then smiled at her. "Then I am as pretty as you." He laughed along with the others, not realizing that he caused Marrybell to freeze and her cheeks to become the same color as her hair from embarrassment.

"Haha, you got her!" Lelouch was satisfied by the fact that his twin was able to break their sister's cool.

* * *

The memory brought a pleasant smile to Marrybell's face, as she thought back to all of the fun times she had had with her family. Needless to say, that time had been hilarious simply by how lady Marianne had barely withheld her own laughter when she saw the state her two sons were in, much to their dismay.

Still, while Lelouch and her were always at odds with each other and constantly teasing one another, they genuinely had fun together as family. On the other hand, Julius had always been sweet and energetic, totally unlike his brother. And Nunnally was a bundle of joy whenever she saw her.

Marrybell let out a sigh, thinking how awful it was that those innocent days would never again come to be. However, her attention was quickly ceased by the large serving of delicious ice cream that a waitress brought for Oldrin.

"Hehe." The blond knight giggled with joy and anticipation, her drool almost flowing out of her mouth, with spoon at the ready to raid the ice cream's defenses. "Ice cream, I'm taking you down." Oldrin stated, as she had already taken a spoonful of the desert and tasted it, causing a delighted smile to plaster itself on her face. There was nothing like the cold sugary taste of ice cream. The knight then noticed her friend staring at her desert and quickly scrambled to shield it. "You can't have any, Mary! It's mine!" Oldrin desperately defended her treat.

"As your princess, I order you to share your desert." Marrybell smirked victoriously, while Oldrin cried tears of anguish, as her friend cheated her way to her desert, again.

* * *

Most of the day had passed and Julius found himself irritated at how he didn't even have time to catch a break from all of the hellish paperwork. From the documents regarding his new royal guard and Anna's science division, to military reports and meetings, the one-eyed prince felt utterly drained.

That is why he decided to hopefully refresh himself by going to see how Leila and the others were coming along. Needless to say, he was quite amused, when he arrived at the room they were residing in and was treated to Ryo and Ayano's given-up faces. Leila seemed to be the most interested in learning, while Akito held his normal bored by life expression, whereas Yukiya was on the verge of falling asleep. Ashley seemed to have finished his lecture for now, since he saluted to Julius when he entered.

"Yo." Yukiya waved slightly, seeming unperturbed from the long lesson in knighthood.

Julius smirked at the scene before him, putting a hand on his waist. "I see that all of you are doing well."

"Most of us at least." Yukiya and Akito shared a snicker as they passed the dejected Ryo and Ayano a glance.

"I hate this…" Ayano groaned out, sprawled over on her stomach on the couch.

Ashley shrugged, somewhat amused by how. "Yeah, well you're gonna have to get used to acting like I showed you in front of everyone."

"Sure." Ryo shrugged him off, not wanting to be bothered anymore.

Leila giggled from her seat next to Akito, while her cat was up and about exploring the new room. She then became curious, when Julius seated himself next to her on her other side, with the prince earning both her and Akito's glances.

"I did some research into your family's history." Julius told Leila, as he leaned onto the sofa and relaxed, making the blond girl interested. "It turns out that your father held the status of a duke. That's quite high of a position that the man sacrificed to defect from Britannia." The prince shrugged, figuring that Leila's father was of the few noteworthy nobles, who deserved his respect. After all, the man had sacrificed a life of luxury and abundance within the empire for his family, for the sake of fighting for and achieving his ideals.

"My father was a duke?" Leila questioned, stunned. From what Ashley had told them, the only aristocracy above dukes were the archdukes, the Knights of the Round and the royal family. She had never known that her family was so high up in Britannian society.

"Yeah, needless to say, I can restore your family name to nobility easily." Julius said, although his voice carried hints that there was something else to it.

"But there's a catch." Akito finished for him, figuring that there was no way defected nobility would be allowed back just like that.

"Indeed." Julius nodded, while the others listened. "I can make you a noble, but your name will not carry your hereditary rank of duchess." He said, proceeding to explain what he was able to figure out.

"Due to my family's defection, the rank will be diminished, right?" Leila guessed, earning a nod from Julius.

"Exactly." Julius replied, turning to look towards Leila. "I wanted to ask you if you would be ok with the position of countess." Truly, by normal standards Leila's family name would have been diminished to that of baroness or viscountess, but as a prince, he could allow for some leeway regarding those rules. Still, from everything he knew about Leila, he was certain that he didn't even need to ask whether she was alright with his decision.

"It is quite fine by me." Leila smiled at the prince. She had lived her whole life without a hereditary noble title, she didn't see how having one now made any difference. "Thank you for informing me, Julius."

"Oh? So our Leila's gonna be a countess now, eh?" Ryo grinned, along with Ayano and Yukiya in a joking fashion. "This calls for a celebration!" The dark brown haired Japanese stated, his life returning to him, as he shot up from his seat.

"Settle down, you make it sound like it's a big deal." Akito deadpanned at him.

"Of course it's a big deal, Akito!" Ayano exclaimed, standing upright. "You don't become a noble every day. Do you even know how nobility live their lives?" She said, pointing out that they wouldn't have to worry about money and they could afford anything they would want.

"Surely not as wealthy as me." Julius intervened with a smirk, gaining a snicker from the others in the room.

"Regardless of my status, I am still me." Leila spoke with an assured smile, which earned her a content nod from Akito and the smiles of the others.

Julius noticed that surprisingly, or maybe not, neither Akito nor Leila seemed to have a complaint for their living arrangements, since neither brought up the matter, so it was probably a moot point. Still, the longer he glanced at his friends, the more he realized that they needed new uniforms befitting of their new ranks, since he had found himself staring with displeasure at the europian uniforms for quite a while.

Adding that task to his to do list, he rose from his seat and began to walk away. "Well, it was nice to take a breather, but I have more things to do." He said, but then stopped midway and turned to look at Leila. "Leila, and everyone else, I hope you understand that sooner or later Britannia will resume its conflict with the EU." His words made everyone turn serious and placed their anticipating gazes onto him. "When that time comes, I won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in my way. I expect the same from all of you."

The group were silent as Leila seemed to be in thought for a few moments. Akito and the rest didn't really feel any attachment to the EU and neither did they have any qualms about killing their enemies, but the ultimatum rested with Leila. That was the essence of their trust in her. After a few more seconds in silence, Leila locked gazes with Julius. "I am aware and acceptant to the taking of lives of enemy soldiers…" She said, but then stood up as well to make sure that her point was clear. "But I will not stand for courses of action that will deliberately put civilians in harm's way." Her words made the prince scowl, knowing that she was referring to his disregard for public safety. "As a soldier, I know that sometimes sacrifices must be made, but the ends don't always justify the means."

The two Geass users stared at each other in silence, only for Julius to shrug. "Hmph, fine then." He smirked, willing to see how effective a change of tactics could truly be. The prince considered it not just because he trusted Leila, but because he was aware that the human factor was always at play in battle. "I will try to refrain from endangering the Europian populace needlessly."

"Thank you, Julius." Leila smiled at the prince, as he turned to leave.

"Oh and one more thing." Julius said, as he stopped right outside the door. "Yukiya, I want you to come with me to the central server room tomorrow." The prince declared and left.

"Gotcha." Yukiya nodded from his position with a crafty grin, eagerly anticipating what he would get to hack next. After all, the palace's security system and surveillance had been all too easy.

* * *

Not long after that, Julius arrived at the palace's royal dining room, which was reserved for the two royal heirs' use for tonight. It was a typical setting where one would expect royalty to dine. The prince noted that there were a lot of stars in the night sky today, which were visible from the large ornate glass windows. Julius was escorted by a waitress to the dinner table, which was a table for three, where he saw that Marrybell and Oldrin had already taken their seats.

"Good evening, Julius." Marrybell greeted her brother, as she saw him walk over. To be perfectly honest, she had to admit that Julius had matured quite a lot from how she remembered him. When they had last seen each other in person, both were of the same height, but now her brother towered over her. However, she knew that his appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed over the years.

"Hey, your highness!" Oldrin smiled cheerfully at the prince in black and gold. She was excited to meet with Julius after all these years, since she had only met with him a couple of times, when her family was visiting the mel Britannia house and the vi Britannia siblings were staying over. "It's been a while!"

"It is nice to see that both of you are well and good." Julius replied with a neutral expression, as he sat down in his seat, which the waitress arranged for him. With the menu being prearranged, he didn't need to order anything, as he took his glass and the waitress filled it with water for him and took her leave to see to the meals. Taking a quick drink from the refreshing water, Julius put the glass down and leaned back in his chair. "I never would have expected that we would meet like this after ten years." The black haired prince said, as he glanced at the two girls. "Both of you have grown into beautiful ladies."

"Thank you for the compliment." Marrybell replied. She observed her brother's mannerisms, facial expression and listened closely to his voice to see if she could notice something amiss, yet so far Julius had been nothing but welcoming towards them. A part of her really wished that all of the rumors and scenes on television were all lies and that her brother was the same as she remembered him when they were children, but she knew better than to let her sentimentality influence her. The red haired princess was intent on proving for herself if the tales of the homicide prince were true or not.

"Prince Julius," Oldrin asked, gaining his attention. Regarding the prince, the blond knight was dying from curiosity on the stories surrounding him. "is it true that you wear an eye-patch because of an accident that damaged your eye?" She asked, pointing to her own left eye.

Julius' features slightly stiffened, but then returned to normal, as he put a hand over his eyepatch. "Yes, I've been like this ever since the first assassination attempt against me." He noted with a bitter hint in his voice. "But it's a liability I've grown used to, so it doesn't hinder me at all like it did the first years."

"Julius…" Marrybell couldn't help but wonder how severely her brother's mind had suffered. She knew from first-hand how awful it was to lose your family, nightmares of the bombing that took her mother's and sister's lives still haunting her to this very day.

"And what about you?" Julius asked, as he noticed the waitress from before bringing them their salads and appetizers. "I remember that you were outed from the royal family when Lady Flora and Julia passed away." He said, noting the flinch that Marrybell tried to quickly hide away, making him narrow his eye at her.

"Mary lived with me and my family." Oldrin answered instead of her best friend, as she had already gone through her salad, surprising Julius with the speed at which she devoured her meals. "After mother passed away, uncle enrolled both of us in the military academy that was in the city."

Julius raised his eyebrow after hearing the last bit of information. While he was more than aware of the former Knight of Eight and leader of Pluton Olivia Zevon, Oldrin's mother, 's death, about which he had a few suspicions regarding the truth on the matter, the prince had never heard anything about his sister enrolling into the military. "That is surprising." He said, as he ignored the mild spiciness of the peppers in the salad. "I never imagined you as the type to do combat, Mary."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Marrybell replied, feeling somewhat offended by her brother's remark, as she went over her own food.

"Pay the sentiment no mind. I did not mean to insult you." Julius chuckled at how quickly his sister was riled. She was almost as he remembered her. Stubborn, free-willed, beautiful, but as hard as she tried to hide it, he could see as plain as day that she wasn't the same. "What I am curious about is how you got reinstated into the imperial family." He spoke.

"I had an audience with father and was allowed to return to the imperial court with Oldrin instated as my personal knight." Marrybell answered, not realizing that mentioning the emperor almost brought Julius to a sudden halt, as he bottled up the rising anger. "Speaking of which, do you know how angry most of the people in the homeland were when they learned of your stunt here?" She asked with a light smile, remembering all of the higher ranking nobles and members of the royal family that were furious when they had learned that Julius dared to proclaim himself emperor of the tributary state.

"Hmph, I imagine Guinevere had not so kind words for me." Julius shrugged dismissively, not interested in the slightest what any of the others thought about him, especially his stuck up eldest sister.

Marrybell chuckled when she remembered how furious the first princess was, even though she didn't hold any kind notions towards the eldest princess. "There wasn't a single event she attended where she didn't curse you."

"Yeah, I really don't want to deal with the first princess again anytime soon." Oldrin nodded, remembering how awful it was to bear through all of the times she had to listen to the older woman.

"Let her flaunt herself all she wants." Marrybell scoffed, not wishing to rant anymore about her eldest sister, although it did bring a smile to her face remembering how many times Cornelia had gotten into a fight with Guinevere in their teens over something. The former had always been her favorite older sister, despite the fact that she didn't have the chance to meet her when she returned, since she had been on the frontlines in Asia and then moved to replace Clovis as viceroy of area 11. "At least it was nice to see Euphy again."

Hearing his younger sister's name brought a certain matter to Julius' attention. "How was she, Euphy I mean?" He asked, wondering if the last news he had read on the situation in area 11 were anything to go by.

"As far as I know, she is accompanying Cornelia as the sub-viceroy of area 11." Marrybell said, trying to recall what Euphy had told her. She was certain of one thing, however. That terrorist calling himself Zero, he deserved to be punished and executed for the crimes he had committed. If there was one thing she hated the most in this world, then that was the very concept of terrorism, as it had been terrorism that took her family's lives.

"I see…" Julius nodded with a slight frown, not keen on the idea of Euphemia being in a danger zone like area 11, although he supposed there was no need to worry, since the overprotective Cornelia was there to make sure that not even a single hair would fall from her sister's head.

The trio finished their dinner with some small talk, although Oldrin pretended to not notice how both Marrybell and Julius changed the subject every time their childhood was brought up. The knight figured that it was normal, since most likely neither of them wanted to be reminded of their losses. They had decided to leave and the knight found herself escorting the prince and princess to their suites.

"Tell me, Mary, why did you come back?" Julius asked his sister, as he stopped in the middle of the corridor they were currently walking through. His expression was dead serious, as he wanted to hear the truth from her mouth.

Marrybell frowned at the question, but decided to answer nonetheless. "I want to rid this world of terrorism." She said. "For that, I need to create my own military force that will be equipped to combat any and all threats to civilian life and peace." She explained her intention, expecting her brother's reaction.

Julius frowned at her, but decided to keep his growing suspicions for a more private discussion. For now, he would stick to the way he always presented himself to others. "Hmph, so that's the answer that you have reached. Then again, you always were the idealistic type." He said, as he began to walk again, not intent on hiding his lack of care for his sister's goal.

Marrybell was taken aback by his dismissive reply, which made her question her brother's desires. "Julius, what is it that you aspire to achieve by committing all of these violent acts?" She asked, her smile gone from her face.

Julius stopped in his tracks and slightly tilted his head to look at the sister he had once been closest to aside from Nunnally. He couldn't tell her that he wanted his hands on the emperor's throat, but he could tell her what he believed. "In this world where the strong devour the weak, I will be the strongest and I will crush anyone who dares to stand in my path."

Marrybell was surprised by how intense his glare was, which made her realize something. In all of the time she had spent with Julius as children, she always remembered him smiling, even when there wasn't anything to be exactly happy about. But now she felt like she was face to face with someone else. "You have changed." The red haired princess said bitterly, disappointed from hearing her brother's standpoint.

"I guess I have." Julius said, as he turned to walk away, his cape gently flapping behind him. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, he was intent on making his point clear. "Because it's you, Mary, I'll say this only once." The dark haired prince said sternly, giving his sister a warning to not further interfere in his path to vengeance as he walked away, even though he disliked the strange feeling tugging at his chest. "Don't get in my way."

Both Marrybell and Oldrin were stunned by the prince's cold and ruthless words, as the knight frowned in disappointment, while the princess shook with anger. "This is who you are now, isn't it." The red haired princess spoke bitterly, hurt by her brother's words. "I don't know what happened to you, but I know that right now you aren't the brother I knew!" She accused him, hoping that he would react, but Julius ignored her and disappeared down the corridor, crushing her hopes that he would be the same as before like Euphemia.

"Don't let him get to you, Mary." Oldrin assured her friend, rubbing her shoulder, noticing that her anger subsided and in its place settled a sadness, which lingered in her eyes.

The princess took a breath to recompose herself and turned to smile at her friend. "It's alright." She said underneath the smile she had grown used to hide behind. "I will figure out something to get to the bottom of my brother's case, but let's save it for tomorrow." Marrybell said, not going to allow herself to back away from Julius' threats. "Come on, let's go to bed." The red head said, gaining a cheerful nod from her knight as the two went about their way.

However, neither of the girls realized the conflict that slowly took between Julius' heart and mind. _Why did you come back now, Mary?_ He thought with a wistful frown on his face as he walked alone in the empty corridors. Just seeing the fake smile plastered on his sister's face like a poorly made mask was enough to anger Julius and remind him of the last time he had seen his sister before her expulsion from the royal family, a memory he deeply despised.

* * *

 **mel Britannia family Vila, 2007 atb**

The news of the terrorist bombing on the mel Britannia family had spread through Britannian society like wildfire. The fact was that such an open act of violence against the imperial family had shaken up the masses. Still, not many cared enough to go and check for themselves, being of the arrogant thought that such a thing would never happen to them.

The vi Britannia family had visited the crime scene as quickly as they could when they learned of the attack. Julius remembered how shaken up he and his siblings were, when they arrived to see the ruins from the explosion and all of the medical bays stationed along with the ongoing investigation. The smell of ash and smoke was repulsive, complimenting the scenery.

While he and Lelouch were shocked, both of the twins had to stiffen their own anxiety, as they noticed Nunnally crying. Marianne had swiftly turned around to calm her young daughter, after which she returned to her fast pacing, a dead serious look on her face. From what Julius could remember, even though his mother and lady Flora shared a husband and were both imperial consorts, the two women were very close friends, so it was natural that his mother was invested into the case, or at least that's what he thought.

However, they hadn't asked their mother to accompany her on her investigation. They wanted to make sure that Marrybell was alright and help their sister out however they could. The information that she was the only survivor even then sounded inconceivable.

They arrived at the medical bay where their sister was, only for the three siblings to stop dead in their tracks when they entered. All alone by herself, Marrybell had scrunched up into a corner of the room, her legs pulled close to her body to hide herself away, crying her heart out.

Shaking himself out of his stupor as fast as he could, the young Julius ran over to his sister. "Mary…" He tried to call her name in a worried tone, but she ignored him and didn't respond. As he approached her, Julius realized that Nunnally had broken down into a sobbing mess as well, clinging onto their mother, while Lelouch simply stood frozen with a look of shocked realization and sorrow. "Mary, it's me, Julius." The young prince said as he knelt down to his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping that he could comfort her somehow. "We came to help."

"Go away!" Marrybell cried out through sobs, the flow of her tears not stopping. She didn't want this, she didn't want any of this. She simply wished for this nightmare to go away and for her mother and sister to be here with her. "Go away…" She continued to cry, even as she felt Julius embrace her and cry as well. In her state, she couldn't perceive that her half-siblings wanted to comfort her.

Julius hugged her tightly, his sister's broken expression causing him to tear up as well. All their lives they had lived blissfully as royal heirs, but this was the first time the vi Britannia siblings came face to face with the repulsiveness of the real world. All Julius wanted right now was for this whole nightmare to pass and his sister to cheer up and be her usual self he loved.

However, the young prince's attention was grasped when he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. He pleadingly gazed at her, hoping that she would be able to do something, only to meet her sorrowful eyes. With a silent shook of her head, Marianne gently rubbed her son's shoulder. "Come on, Julius. There is nothing we can do to help here." She spoke soothingly, although the regret was clear in her voice.

Julius' eyes widened in disbelief. He took another look at his sister's broken state and played out his mother's words in his head once more. The young prince desperately didn't want to, but he let go of his sister and took his mother's hand.

Marianne walked over to Lelouch, who hugged Nunnally to soothe her and took his hand in her free one. Julius remembered how his brother's expression had twisted with anger at the cause of all this, with the young prince not knowing at the time what would befall them later on.

As Marianne bitterly walked out with her children, the empress ran into her fellow Knight of the Round, Olivia Zevon, and her young daughter, who was sad as she looked at her crying friend. The two women gazed at each other briefly, with their silent conversation ending with Marianne shaking her head in grief and Olivia nodding in acceptance.

As the empress moved forward again, along with her children in hand, Julius turned around one last time to look at the crying form of his sister before he and his family left.

* * *

A crash resounded through the empty corridor, as a large dent and cracks had formed on the stone wall where Julius had furiously slammed his fist. It didn't matter that his knuckles ached from the impact against the resilient surface, as the prince's arms shook with anger and an almost animalistic growl escaped his lips.

After that the one eyed prince let out a glum sigh as he calmed down. "Thinking about this now is pointless." Julius muttered to no one in particular, keeping himself in check. _But._ The prince clenched his fist, as he walked away, understanding that this was bound to happen sooner or later. _There are things that even I won't let go of._

* * *

In their own bedroom, Akito and Leila were preparing to go to sleep. The Japanese teen noted that the room was almost as big as the room he had had back in his clan's mansion. It was what anyone would expect from a room in a palace, honestly. What currently troubled the blue haired boy was his rapidly beating heart.

Akito was currently inside the bathroom, dressed in his sleeping shorts and a tank top, having entered inside to allow Leila her privacy. His whole body was tense, as he waited for Leila to finish getting changed, doing anything in his power to rebuke the sexual images popping in his mind. They were just going to share a bed, that's all.

"Akito, I am done changing." Leila's voice rang out from the bedroom, although he thought he caught a giggling note in it. "You can get out of the bathroom."

 _Ok, don't do anything stupid. Just act normal._ Taking a deep breath to calm down and reminding himself of how to properly keep his reactions under controll, like he had the years before meeting Leila, Akito entered the bedroom and found it increasingly hard to resist the urge to simply gawk at her.

Leila was dressed in a long translucent pink sleeping gown, which did nothing to hide her body's attractive curves. She was sitting in the large bed, her back comfortably laying against the pillows, as her cat lay curled up in her lap.

Akito swallowed the lump that was stuck in his throat and decided to say something, anything to dispel the awkward silence. "You look great in that." He managed to utter out, while desperately trying to keep his face from showing the storm of emotions brewing within him.

"Oh, thank you." Leila blushed briefly, as she watched him walk over and sit down on the other side of the bed, feeling her heart's beating increase slightly. She didn't really understand where this sudden nervousness was coming from, but it was nothing she couldn't cope with. "You didn't really need to go out of your way to stay in the bathroom while I was changing." She decided to perk up the mood with a joke, as she scooted over closer to him and placed her hand over his.

Akito indulged in the sensation of feeling her hand's smooth skin lightly wash over his own, as he turned around to look at Leila. "Well, I don't want you to think I am a pervert or anything like that." He said with a slight hint of embarrassment in his voice, which he didn't notice that Leila caught on to. He shifted on the bed so that he was in a comfortable position.

Deciding that it was best if he took initiative, Akito steeled his nerves to go through with what his mind was telling him. "Besides," He moved closer to Leila and kissed her on the lips, completely surprising her as her heart literally skipped a beat, although she reciprocated to the kiss in kind. "I would never allow myself to degrade you, Leila."

The blond Geass user giggled at his response, as the two lay down on the bed next to each other with their hands intertwined. "Hey, Akito?" Leila spoke up.

"Hmm?" The blue haired Japanese tilted his head to look at his girlfriend, as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on top of his chest.

"Is it alright if we sleep like this?" She asked, her eyes threatening to close at any moment and her voice tired, as she enjoyed the warmth of his body which only threatened to pull her into sleep faster.

"Of course." Akito smiled, as he gently wrapped one of his hands around Leila. He could feel her smooth and soft skin on his body, her calm breaths on his chest. His eyes darted to her flowing wavy blond hair and its cotton-like feel on his arm. _So beautiful._ He noted in his thoughts. Speaking of hair, he realized that he wished his own would grow back fast, since it made him feel somewhat uncomfortable without the long locks draping down his back. "Goodnight, Leila." Akito said, as he pulled the blankets over them with his free hand and turned off the lights, catching Eliza walk next to his pillow and curl down next to him.

"Goodnight, Akito." Leila muttered out, as she was already half-asleep. At this moment she didn't care, she wanted to forget all of the troubles that awaited them. She simply wished to indulge in sleeping curled up to her boyfriend like a normal girl.

* * *

 **What a fluffy ending for a chapter, am I right? Anyway, as you guys have already understood, Schneizel came and tinkered with Julius' schemes so as he doesn't have such an easy time (the essence of a big brother) and the favor he wanted to ask from Marrybell was to actually go and observe Julius to ensure that he wouldn't do something rash again. Speaking of Marrybell, I think that I will leave the writing to speak for itself, since if I start discussing what I have done and intend to do with her character I might get spoiler heavy. As for those of you who are dying for the Julius vs Zero arc, I can't say for certain, but it will be at least a few more chapters before the story moves directly to Area 11. Anyway, as always thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**


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